It’s perfectly tranquil here in spring, with plenty of birds hatching their eggs here
Cees de Jong, member dairy farmer
FrieslandCampina’s farmers play a vital role in conserving and restoring biodiversity in the Netherlands. More than 25 percent1 of all land in the Netherlands is managed by dairy farmers. Farmers are also referred to as the guardians of the landscape, but do we really realise their significance?
Nature and dairy farming go hand in hand
Cees de Jong is one of these farmers. Each and every day, he does his utmost to help the meadow birds roosting, feeding and hatching their eggs on his pastures and farmyard. Cees explains: ‘Part of our dairy business is dedicated to serving meadow birds. Different varieties of grass grow here, which strengthen the soil. We leave them to keep growing for as long as possible.’
Plenty of love
‘We make some of the ground extra soggy with the aid of a solar-powered water pump. It’s perfectly tranquil here in spring, with birds such as black-tailed godwits, common redshanks, oystercatchers, lapwings, shovelers and gadwalls hatching their eggs here. Sometimes we get partridges too, which is pretty unusual for this area. Our farmyard plays host to other species of bird, like owls and barn swallows. Swallows like nesting in the wooden trusses in our barn. In short, nature and dairy farming go hand in hand and that’s something I work hard for every day, with plenty of love.’
We can make a big difference by choosing to be more sustainable together. By choosing Campina and On the way to PlanetProof, you provide financial support to farmers like Cees, who devote extra attention to cows, nature and the climate.