Het Groene Hart

Precision and Sustainability at the Heart of it All

On the farm of farmer Jasper Roubos, Het Groene Hart, we work together to promote and demonstrate sustainability in practice and share our knowledge in this area with farmers, citizens, policymakers and other stakeholders. Jasper keeps a close eye on key production factors such as soil fertility, quality seed selection, and water management – in addition to smart weed, disease and pest control, optimum fertilization and proper handling and storage of the harvest. Crop rotation is of major importance at Het Groene Hart to ensure retained soil fertility. At harvest, wheat and straw are shredded and left in the field to improve the organic matter content of the soil. To create a good nutrient base, fields are also fertilized with manure and cover crops are planted to contribute to the rich organic matter in the soil.

Technology is progressing even faster with the evolution of communication networks and the availability of a wide range of new sensors, opening up new opportunities for farming. Respectively, Het Groene Hart participates in The Internet of Food and Farm 2020 (IoF 2020) project funded by the EU to develop systems integrating sensor technology, real-time data analysis like soil moisture, crop health, weather data, etc. to improve crop performance and farm efficiency.

• Location: Abbenes, North Holland, The Netherlands.

• History: Jasper Roubos. Founded around 1870. In 2002, the farm was relocated a few kilometers to its current location, because of the construction of the high-speed train track. In 2011, Jasper took over from his father Jan Roubos.

• Farm size: 83 hectares.

• Crops: Winter wheat, potato, onion, sugarbeet.

• Notable partnerships: Potatoes are grown for McCain, sugarbeets for Cosun and onions for various customers.