Floating dairy farm in Rotterdam changes course again, adding a vertical salad farm
The owners of the floating dairy farm in Rotterdam's port, the Netherlands, are no longer selling it. The cows now live on nearby farms, while salads are grown in the floating structure's basement.
The floating dairy farm in the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has taken another turn: its owners are no longer selling it, and the cows have been moved to several other farms about 20 km away. The farm opened in May 2019 as the world's first floating dairy farm, intended to show that food could be produced sustainably without the usual reliance on land.
Background
The farm was created by Peter and Minke van Wingerden, who invested €4 million in it. It has on-site feeding, milking, slurry and dairy production facilities. Local consumers could buy its dairy products from vending machines at the farm, and, according to the source, hundreds of thousands of visitors came from around the world to see it.
Recently the owners put the farm up for sale after a dispute with the local environmental department, which said a newly fitted floor did not comply with regulations. The 28 Dutch MRI cows had been taken off the farm and were to be sold, with milk production due to end.
The current situation
Peter van Wingerden has confirmed that milk and dairy production continues. He said the cows had to be moved because of outdated city emissions rules. In his words, the farm has the lowest possible emissions thanks to its modern technology, but the rubber floor is German-made and has no certificate of compliance in the Netherlands.
A stainless steel pipeline now runs from the quay to the farm. The regular dairy truck delivers milk twice a week, roughly 1,500 litres per batch.
The basement, below the waterline and cooled by the water, houses a fully automated vertical farm with three layers and conveyor belts. It grows micro-greens, harvested every two weeks; herbs, every three weeks; leafy greens, every four weeks; and edible flowers, every four to five weeks. These are turned into tea, pesto, herb-infused salts and herb-infused whey.
Van Wingerden said the farm will have to leave the port in just over two years, because the whole area is to become residential.
