The Floating Farm in the Port of Rotterdam has changed direction again: the platform is no longer up for sale, its 28 Dutch MRI cows have been moved to other farms about 20km away, milk is arriving by truck and pipeline, and a vertical salad-growing enterprise now occupies the basement of the floating structure.
A sale notice that was called off
The owners had recently put the farm up for sale after a disagreement with the local environmental department, which ruled that a newly fitted floor did not comply with regulations. At that stage the herd had been taken off the platform and was due to be sold, and milk production was to stop.
That plan has since been reversed. Co-founder Peter van Wingerden said the farm has the lowest emissions possible thanks to its modern technology and system, but the rubber floor is German and carries no certificate of compliance in the Netherlands. The cows are now held on a few farms near the platform, and milk reaches the structure through a stainless steel pipeline running from the quay. A regular dairy truck delivers roughly 1,500L per batch, twice a week. Because the supplier is only 20km away, transport time is short.
A farm designed to work without land
The project was the idea of Peter and Minke van Wingerden, who invested €4 million in a farm with on-site feeding, milking, slurry handling and dairy production facilities. It opened in May 2019 in the port as a futuristic way of producing food sustainably without the traditional tie to land.
Throughout its operation the farm produced milk and dairy produce for local consumers, who could buy it from vending machines on the platform. The concept drew hundreds of thousands of curious visitors from around the world to see the cows at work.
Salads grown under the waterline
The vertical farm is a fully controlled and automated growing space with three layers, conveyor belts and a combination of grow-room and warehouse technology. Four types of crops are grown there: micro-greens harvested every two weeks, herbs every three weeks, leafy greens every four weeks and edible flowers every four to five weeks. These are turned into tea, pesto, herb-infused salts and herb-infused whey, alongside the farm's Parmigiano cheese.
The unit sits below the waterline of the floating structure, which means it is cooled by the water. Van Wingerden said it is going really well.
A port home with a deadline
Van Wingerden acknowledged that the current setup is not the vision the founders started out with, but said the operation is coping with the system. The Floating Farm will have to leave the port in just over two years, when the whole area is due to be turned into housing.