Ekoboerderij de Lingehof is a biodynamic and organic certified arable farm in Randwijk in a region called De Betuwe. Near the farm are approximately 100 hectare and another 30 near Driel. We grow approximately 10 crops (onions, potatoes, red beets, several grains, lupin, quinoa, peas, red cabbage, pumpkins) and a variety of smaller experiments per year, on land located mostly close to the farm. The farm was founded on a derelict dairy farm and developed to the current situation since 2005 by farmer André Jurrius who lives here with his family. It was converted to organic arable production from the start and is since 2018 Demeter certified too.
André Jurrius has a background in arable farming in Canada amongst other places and has built the farm and its crop portfolio from scratch. The current farm has an innovative crop diversification with for example new crops such as quinoa and lupine for human consumption. Close collaboration with the next door organic dairy farm gives opportunities for exchange in manure, straw and gras clover. Mechanisation is adapted to the variety of crops, where possible with precision farming and GPS. Delivery destinations vary for each crop, from carrots to (baby food) industry to all the grains that go to the local windmill for supply to bakers in the region.
Giving space to initiatives is an important value for André. Already since the start, a small scale horticulture farm is rotating inside the Lingehof and has its own place at the farm's premises. This farm - Tuinderij de Stroom - provides organic vegetable bags to approximately 500 clients in the region and has a shop on the farm every Friday afternoon.
De Lingehof and Tuinderij de Stroom jointly organise an 'adopt your own apple tree' project, with 400 trees which can be adopted by consumers and which gives consumers the right to harvest their tree. We organise activities and picking days. See the Hoogstamfruit Hemmen website.
De Lingehof is a case study in the EU horizon 2020 project Diverfarming. This project aims to find more crop diversification possibilities in terms of benefits for soil health and socio-economic health of farming.