We are the future of the cooperative
Guus van den Broek, member dairy farmer from Evertsoord in the Dutch province of South Limburg
Our dairy cooperative has 16,995 member dairy farmers. They dedicate themselves to their cows and their lands every day again. But who are they, why are they members, how do they spend their spare time and why do they love their farm lives? This time we talk with Guus van den Broek (35) from Evertsoord in the Dutch province of South Limburg.
“When I was a little boy I used to go on my bike to my uncle’s farm very often. I liked to help him, to be outside. After my graduation from the HAS University of Applied Sciences 14 years ago, I set up a partnership with my uncle. My wife Anouk and I both also have jobs outside the home. I am an inseminator with CRV and my wife works with people with intellectual disabilities and a distance from the labour market.”
Membership
“To me it was a matter of course to continue my uncle’s membership of FrieslandCampina. I think it is a nice idea that we, all member dairy farmers, are the joint owners of FrieslandCampina. We are doing fine and together we have the responsibility to keep it that way. We are the future of the cooperative.”
The future
“I am not worried about the future. However, we should not ignore the fact that our society is changing. So we have to keep looking for opportunities and have faith. Perhaps this also includes some broadening of our business in the future.”
Favourite FrieslandCampina product
“Deserts are favourite, our son Fer and daughter Sem really love them. Caramel custard, double custard, strawberry yoghurt, they like them all.”
Spare time
“We like to walk through the surroundings with our family and our dog. Apart from this, we come together with a group of neighbours to play the game ‘beugelen’, a ball game that is mostly played in the Dutch provinces of South Limburg and North Brabant.”