Today, we visited a floating farm! This included cows, micro greens, and cheese processors. This farm was put on the ocean to allow easy access to food products for places that had just gone through a natural disaster. This reduces carbon emissions from transportation while providing more safety to the surrounding areas. Although there is only one location now, they hope to construct more. This farm strives to produce zero waste which relates to the sustainability factor of the trip. They achieve this by using waste products for the cow food, using cow manure for soil and furniture materials, and collecting rainwater for the micro greens and cows. They also have solar panels on top of the farm to harness energy for the lighting. This renewable energy powers 50% of the farm, and 100% of the lighting for the microgreens.
We later had lunch that served a Filet American. This sandwich which contains raw meat is popular in Dutch culture. I’ve noticed throughout the trip that they commonly serve raw meat even in appetizers. When looking this up, I found that this concept stemmed from the inability to cook the meat because of the lack of fuel. The Dutch also wanted to keep the taste and nutrients of the raw meat. This food is preserved with spices, pickling, or smoking rather than refridgeration because the Netherlands’ cool climate and urban density made it seem unnecessary. Although it is completely safe, it definitely threw me off because we don’t see that in America. I didn’t try the sandwich, but it seemed good as it ran out fast!
Lastly we visited RDM, an innovation and technology center for students and companies. This place was originally a historic shipyard, but was transformed due to money loss and shipbuilding decline. It now contains over 50 companies and thousands of students that work together to develop, test, and create new prototypes and products. RDM has advanced testing centers and field labs that allow the community to do this. One prototype that was showcased was a 3D printed coral reef. This is given a rough surface and natural shape which attracts marine life when put into the ocean. This encourages biodiversity and coral reef restoration. There were many other examples, but I found this one the coolest and most sustainable!
