Today we visited the Floating Farm which is the first ever one of its kind. They produce milk and cheese from their cows and fresh produce that are all above water. The structure is held in stable on the water by two drilled spud poles so that the farm can still move up and down with changing water levels. This allows the floating farm to remain open in times of flooding so the community can still have access to fresh produce during challenging times. This is extremely important because flooding is a constant threat to port cities with several bodies of water which is most of the geography in the Netherlands.
When designing this company, the founders wanted to make a long lasting farm that eliminated the negative impacts normal farming has on the environment. For instance, since the floating farm is situated on water surrounding a city/highly populated area, they are able to get their products to consumers much faster and use less energy in the process. This means that less CO2 is emitted since there is less of a distance needed to transport their goods, and they also only use electrically powered vehicles in the process. The creators of this company saw that in 2019, 927 million kilograms of food were wasted in the Netherlands alone. They were repulsed by this number and started thinking of ways to reduce these statistics. They decided to have the cows eat the food returns from the city. This creates a completely circular flow between products since the wasted food of humans goes to the cows, to then their milk and cheese products that can then be sent back to the humans and such action continues. This eliminates a lot of unnecessary waste and contributes to a more sustainable environment.
As we walked around we noticed that there were several solar panels around the property. We found out that these panels contribute to 60% of the energy to the farm, and they are collecting data to eventually adding wind mills in the future. They also have a machine that collects and filters urine from the cow pen and is used to water their plants. A similar mechanism is used that collects rain water that falls on the roof. These purification systems allow for water to be reused instead of wasted. They ensure that every part they can control is done in a sustainable way, which also includes what they do with the cow manure. At the floating farm, they keep the manure and make fertilizer pellets from it, or sell it to other companies where bricks, vases, and tables can be made from the manure. Since water has so much available space than land, the researchers and owners of the floating farm believe that this is the future of farming and we will see a shift towards this in years to come. To end the tour we tried some DELICIOUS cheese, so me and zoe obviously had to buy a slab and snack on it.
Afterwards we visited the RDM campus which is located one of the most important ports during World War II. This university emphasizes innovation for their students and has millions of tools and machines to assist them in their creative ventures. The part that really amazed all of us was a warehouse owned by the port authority where companies can rent blocks of space where they can set up offices and workshops, and students can assist in creating and testing products. It was extremely interesting to see how different companies working on similar projects would work together to find the best material/process that would benefit both companies.
My favorite project that I saw was Urban Reef which uses 3D printers to build bio-based reefs that can house small sea creatures and prevent coastal erosion. This idea relates to concept to customer because the founders of this company saw the increasing need for growth and diversity of life in urban settings such as streetscapes, squares and buildings. The concept is to produce a product that can increase room for uncontrolled and emerging ecologies in urban settings. The end products are these reefs made out of living materials that can accomplish all of these goals.
To end our day we had a farewell dinner on a stationary boat where we had really good burgers and enjoyed our last evening together. I feel so incredibly grateful to have been able to go on this program and meet such incredible people. Thank you to the Bursic’s for planning and supervising this trip, they taught me so many professional skills that I will take with me forever. I am currently sitting in the Amsterdam airport and I can’t stop reflecting on the amazing friendships I have made in the past two weeks. It is crazy to think that we were all complete strangers a couple of months ago, and now I have found some of my best friends. I am so sad to leave this group, but I know we will stay close in the years to come. Thank you Pitt and Plus3 for these amazing people. Until next time The Netherlands!
