Farming co-operative “Herenboerderij” – The Netherlands

© www.herenboeren.nlk
CS team:

DLO

The CS in a nutshell:
Herenboerderij is the first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in The Netherlands. Community Supported Agriculture refers to a partnership between one or more farmers and a community of members. It is a small farming co-operative, owned by approximately 200 families (“Herenboeren”). Together they decide what to eat and what the farm will produce. The farmer, who is employed by the co-operative, grows a dozen types of fruits and vegetables and looks after the farm animals for the production of meat and eggs. The families who are participating contribute a one-off entrance fee of 2,000 Euros for the establishment of the farm, and then share in the annual operating cost. This includes the farmer’s salary, real estate costs, utilities, seeds and plants, and food for the farm animals. The annual cost varies, but is approximately 10 Euros per person, per week, for which citizens receive fresh food from their own farm.

More information is available on this website, brochure and article
Twitter: @herenboeren

About the area:
The case study Herenboeren is located on an estate in the municipality of Boxtel, The Netherlands. It started as a local initiative where most participants came from the neighbourhood of Boxtel (province Noord-Brabant). Boxtel has approximately 30,000 inhabitants, located on sandy soils with intensive forms of farming (e.g. pigs and poultry). The rural areas of Boxtel are located in the middle of the triangle formed by Tilburg, Eindhoven and ‘s Hertogenbosch. The number of farmers in the region is decreasing and there is an interest in developing new uses for old farm buildings. A lot of effort is required to keep typical rural areas liveable into the future.

More information on the area

Location of the case study in the Netherlands© Google Earth Pro & mapbox.com .

News and event:
EVENTSFebruary 19th 2019 – Focus group with local stakeholders