VP Landbouw: A leading light in sustainable agriculture

In early 1941, the farm begins construction of new barns, featuring concrete floors, stone walls and an outer wall made of tarred spruce from its own forests. The farm is set up to provide employment for workers at the Van Puijenbroek textile factories, which had unfortunately closed down because of the war. Some of these workers are put straight to work on the already family-owned estate. In 1940, the farm is made up of 72 hectares of crops, including oat, winter and summer rye, potato, beet and field bean.

In 1945, the then Groningen Agricultural Test Station and Soil Science Institute TNO (Landbouwproefstation en Bodemkundig Instituut T.N.O. te Groningen) would analyse the soil conditions at the Gorp farm. It concludes that the light sandy soil is not very fertile and that its quality varies greatly over short distances. To accommodate these conditions, it is recommended that soil fertility be promoted through organic fertilisation and smart crop rotation, not only with cereal crops, but also cultivated pastures and feed crops. To that end, a livestock farm is set up alongside the already existing arable farm. It therefore becomes necessary to start properly planning their arable farming strategy, thereby ensuring that yields are sufficient enough to see the livestock through the winter.

Discussions take place between Van Puijenbroek, some Belgians, the Chicago-based company Brabson and Prof. Ir. P.A. van den Ban of the Wageningen Agricultural College regarding the plan to build the first free stall barn in the Netherlands, at the time more common in the US. In October 1949, an invitation comes from Chicago, inviting the team over for a research trip. Up until that point, Gorp employed group stall barns, where the cows are lined up next to each other with their heads facing towards a path in the middle. After the war, management decide to switch to the American free stall barn configuration, where the cows no longer need to be tied.

The Wageningen Pasture and Feed Farming Inspectorate (Inspectie Weide- en Voederbouw te Wageningen) recommend the farm periodically turn over the soil and start reclaiming certain areas. The quality of farmyard manure is also reassessed, requiring it to be put in a heap and mixed in with soil for composting. The study also shows that too little phosphate, as well as too little potassium, is being spread. Consequently, a conscious shift is made towards artificial fertilisation, based on soil analysis, the fertilisation value of farmyard manure, crops and grassland usage. It is hoped that improved fertilisation, sowing techniques and smart crop rotation should generate higher yields.

By that year, Gorp has a total of 70 dairy cows, 60 calves and 30 pregnant heifers, along with 30 oxen in the barn.

People become eager to see the farming model in place at Gorp. In the early 1950s, it pulls in some 4,000 to 5,000 visitors from England, France, Belgium, Germany and Scandinavia.

By now, the farm is home to 80 dairy cows, along with 30 one-year-old stirks and 30 calves for breeding, while 20 dry cows, 30 one-year-old oxen and 30 bull calves are fattened up for sale.

According to a report by the National Agriculture Consultant (Rijkslandbouwconsulent), the farm is about 1,600 hectares in size (including forestry), 72 of which is grassland, 60 cultivated pastures and 140 arable land. The barn is home to some 160 cows and around 55 stirks, proving that the farm has undergone considerable growth. Each cow has about 8.2 m² of space to lie in, along with 5.1 m² to walk around in. In summer, however, the animals are let outside. A study is carried out concerning the relationship between the temperature in the closed free stall barns and milk supply. While milk production is considerably reduced at lower temperatures, the fat content is slightly improved. The animals are given about 8 kg of hay per day. The barn litter is mostly made up of chopped rye straw, which makes the manure package less solid, meaning animals are able to kick holes in it. This allows oxygen to penetrate deeper, thereby generating more thermal energy. The higher temperature of the manure, the more beneficial it is to the livestock. The study report therefore indicates that the stables at Gorp are having a beneficial effect on its livestock.

That year, a 100-cattle free stall barn, one that had been drawing admirers for 10 years, burns to the ground. A considerable amount of agricultural equipment, tractors, a milk wagon and a large batch of hay go up in flames. Luckily, the cattle were standing out in the meadow at the time of the fire. The damage amounts to 100,000 guilders.

The farm enjoys a significant growth in the mid-1970s. According to a report from 1977, the Van Puijenbroek Operating Company (Exploitatiemaatschappij) covers 97.5 hectares of permanent pasture, 73 hectares of cultivated pasture, 111.3 hectares of maize crops, 37 hectares of barley crops and 42 hectares of beet crops. This accounts for a 30% increase in grassland, as well as a 36% increase in arable land since 1956. The dairy farm, meanwhile, is clearly distinguishable from the farm’s forestry and fruit cultivating operations. Advice is sought on improving the farm’s water management and land cultivation approach, as well as optimising its feed balance. Fertiliser plans are also drawn up, while veterinarians are also brought in to provide regular livestock health checks.

The Gorp and Roovert Estate covers an area of 1,200 hectares, comprising 850 hectares of forest, 260 hectares of arable land, 70 hectares of permanent grassland and 30 hectares of cultivated grassland. Crop yields are fluctuating year on year. Some 50 to 65 hectares are being used to grow potatoes for human consumption, while another 53 hectares is being used to harvest sugar beet. The area devoted to fodder beet varies between 2 and 9.5 hectares. Maize is the biggest crop, accounting for 130 hectares. Some years, roughly 10 hectares is used to grow chicory. Fruit cultivation takes up over 9.5 hectares, made up of 9 hectares for apples and 0.5 hectares for pears. Meanwhile, the area for fruit cultivation has increased by 15 hectares, due to incorporating part of the neighbouring De Braacken orchard. Finally, the farm counts around 9 to 14 hectares of fallow land.

Total livestock adds up to around 820 animals:
A free stall barn with 362 cows
A free stall barn with 14 cows and 174 stirks
A free stall barn with 90 stirks and 3 breeding bulls
A deep litter barn (with straw) with 50 stirks and 10 breeding bulls
A straw pen with 45 calves and 5 breeding bulls