The floating dairy farm in the Netherlands has changed direction again: the owners have dropped plans to sell the structure, moved the 28 resident Dutch MRI cows to nearby farms and are continuing to process milk on board, while a vertical salad-growing enterprise operates in the basement.
The farm was opened in May 2019 in the Port of Rotterdam as a futuristic way of producing food sustainably without the traditional tie-up with land. It was the idea of Peter and Minke van Wingerden, who invested €4 million in the project, which was built with on-site feeding, milking, slurry and dairy production facilities.
Earlier, the owners put the farm up for sale after a disagreement with the local environmental department, which said a newly fitted floor did not comply with regulations. At that stage the cows had been taken off the farm and were to be sold, and milk production was to cease.
Cows relocated, processing continues
Peter van Wingerden has now confirmed that production of milk and other dairy produce is continuing and that the vertical farm is performing well. The cows have been transported to a few different farms near the floating unit, and the regular dairy truck brings milk in twice a week, at approximately 1,500 litres per batch.
According to van Wingerden, the farm has the lowest emissions possible because of its modern technology and system, but the rubber floor is German and has no certificate of compliance in the Netherlands. A stainless steel pipeline has been installed from the quay to the farm, and the distance from the milk supplier is just 20 km, which he described as a really short transportation time.
Vertical unit below the waterline
The vertical farm sits in the basement of the floating structure below the waterline, so it is cooled by the water. Van Wingerden describes it as a fully controlled and automated grow space with three layers and conveyor belts, combining grow-room and warehouse technology.
Four types of crops are grown in the unit:
- Micro-greens, harvested every two weeks;
- Herbs, harvested every three weeks;
- Leafy greens, harvested every four weeks;
- Edible flowers, harvested every four to five weeks.
These products are turned into tea and pesto, alongside Parmigiano cheese, herb-infused salts and herb-infused whey.
Just over two years left in the port
According to van Wingerden, the Floating Farm will have to leave the port in just over two years because the entire area is to become residential. He said the current arrangement is not the vision the team originally started off with, but that they are coping with the system.
Throughout its operation in the port the farm produced milk and, in turn, dairy produce for local consumers, who could buy it from vending machines on site. The concept proved popular, with hundreds of thousands of curious visitors travelling from around the world to the port to see the cows at work.