Rice, but different. In Zeijen there is a field full of naked oats: a rice substitute that can be grown locally. This is the second year for arable farmer Erik Emmens to grow this. He hopes that this product will gain popularity.
“Naked oats are a grassy oat, but when harvested the skin is removed from the grain,” says Emmens as he points to the field behind him. If you look closely, you will see the small green shoots sprouting from the ground. “It is a replacement for rice and it is grown nearby. As a farmer you try to come up with something new every time and this crop came in handy for me, because oats can easily be used in my cropping plan. And it is also tasty for eating. And it is also very healthy.”
The arable farmer is a member of the Haver Cooperative. They are three farmers together: one from Friesland, one from Groningen and one from Drenthe. “If consumers like this, we can expand this,” says Emmens. “That’s kind of the idea with the cooperative; that not just me, but that more farmers can use this. How nice it would be…”
The naked oats are in the Emmens testing ground. “Last year we started with the province of Drenthe, the Environmental Federation and LTO to see how we can promote crops that need a little support from the start. We started with a sexy crop show, and of course naked oats cannot be missed.”
In total, about 12 hectares have been sown in Zeijen. Although the soil looks dry, it is not. Emmens shows that it is wet beneath the surface. “It’s the perfect start,” he says. The farmer hopes to harvest in August.
