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Peter Netjes

Introducing Peter Netjes, DOC Kaas cooperative member dairy farmer

The dairy farm on Kampereiland that Peter Netjes runs with his parents and wife is located on a mound. This is typical of old farms in this region, because before the Zuiderzee was closed off in 1932, the island regularly flooded when the water level was high. His ancestors came to live there around 1886. “My father took over the dairy farm from his parents in 1988. When I take over the farm, I will be the fourth generation.”

Peter Netjes

“If the cows are happy, I am too”

 

“We milk 55 cows, have around 20 young livestock and lease the land; 30 hectares of grassland. So it’s a rather small dairy farm and we’ve set up our activities so all four of us can also work ‘outside’ the farm. As well as bringing in an extra source of income, it provides new contacts and other insights. My father and I usually milk, but my mother and wife Elianne, who also grew up on a dairy farm, milk regularly too.”

Peter Netjes

Taking over the dairy farm

“It was a surprise to us that Peter wanted to take over the dairy farm,’ explained father, Henk Netjes. ‘Our oldest son and daughter had already said that they wanted to go in another direction and you don’t want your children to feel obliged. It’s difficult to expand the farm here as there’s no land available. Combined with increasing regulations this means that our dairy farm has a somewhat uncertain future.’ ‘That’s true,’ confirmed Peter, ‘but I think a farmer’s life is too enjoyable to give up on. And I believe there are more than enough possibilities.”

Peter Netjes

Peter: “Elianne and I studied Animal Husbandry in Dronten at the same time and then did an internship in New Zealand. Hers was on South Island and mine on North Island – it was a fantastic experience! I’d studied International Wholesale Trade in Zwolle before completing this course and started working more on the dairy farm. My focus is on healthy cows – if the cows are happy, I am too. I also want to make the dairy farm less labour intensive. For instance, we started using a slurry robot this year and I’d like a milking robot in the future, but that’s a major investment, certainly for a small dairy farm.”

 

“We supply grass-fed milk. Our cows are outside in the pastures as much as possible and that’s always such a wonderful sight. And the cows love it too. We feed our cows and calves as much grass as possible and the feed we purchase is GMO-free. This means we supply GMO-free milk and dairy company DMK Group can therefore produce GMO-free dairy products from this milk. Consumer demand for this is really increasing right now. Apart from Uniekaas, DMK Group dairy products are not yet available for sale in the Netherlands. It would be great, for example, if Milram’s desserts were available in shops here. You never know.”

Peter Netjes

“My parents became DOC Kaas members in 2010. It was already a small-scale dairy cooperative then and that appealed to them. Of course, a good milk price is the most important thing as that’s our income. But I also think participation is important and that’s built into the DOC Kaas cooperative structure: members have a say in important decisions. I’m in the DOC Kaas youth committee and we are expected to help think about plans and decisions and to speak out. It’s really valuable and such a great learning experience.”

Also meet André van Vliet