Jack Nicolaes would hand over the farm and the cows to his two sons: ‘This is our life’ | Nitrogen crisis

With a long pipette and a straw of semen, dairy farmer Jean Nicolaes (24) in his blue overalls is on his way to cow 508. It is a precise job to artificially inseminate a cow. Thaw the sperm, locate the cervix and then gently empty the pipette. He pulls a lubricated glove over his shoulder. “If I’m focused, I can forget about it all for a while.”