Today was yet again an early morning. We were told that we would be getting another bagged breakfast, so naturally many of us woke up a bit earlier to eat a more filling breakfast in the Generator. We then departed for the metro around 8:00 and took it to Central Station. Unfortunately, once we got on the train, we learned that there were circumstances out of our control which forced the train to cancel. We ended up having to take a slower train, but thankfully did still reach Rotterdam in time to visit the world’s first floating farm.

Once we got to the floating farm, we were met with a presentation by Minke van Wingerden, who owns and operates the farm along with her husband, Peter. In the presentation, she explained how the farm makes use of the space being taken up by bodies of water by building farms there, thus increasing access to food for those in areas without much farmable land. Not only is this sustainable, as increased access is one of the sustainability goals of Pitt, but it also helps in terms of the supply chain because it brings the supplier closer to the companies, thus decreasing transportation costs and emissions. According to Minke, they plan to build more floating farms in Singapore, as a majority of their food is imported due to a lack of farmable land. Building farms on the water around Singapore would greatly decrease the cost of food for the nation.

After the presentation, we were allowed to see and even pet the cows. At first, I was a little nervous, as the cows are pretty large compared to me, but I eventually did. We then had a dairy tasting, before making our way to the ferry. Throughout the day, one thing I noticed in Rotterdam that I didn’t notice as much of is a large South Asian influence here. The restaurant I went to for lunch was owned by a South Indian couple, and throughout the streets I saw many South Asian restaurants and shops. I am excited to explore more of the city tomorrow!