Cheerful farmer Jan does not protest, but understands: ‘Rules have been changing for 40 years’

Dairy farmer Jan van de Nes (61) from Haarlem does not participate in the farmers’ protests. But he does understand them: in the forty years that he has been a farmer, he has constantly had to deal with changing rules. Inside he is angry, but he also counts his blessings. “Being a farmer is a lot of fun.”

Jan van de Nes, one of the last farmers in Haarlem. – NH News

Van de Nes is the fifth generation of dairy farmers on the farm that has been in his family since 1914. After a heyday with more than twenty-five other farms on the Zuidschalkwijkerweg, his farm is now the only one left.

As one of the last farmers in Haarlem, he sympathizes with his colleagues. “The most frustrating thing is all the rules that keep changing and the ambiguity that comes with it. Look, I’ve been a farmer for over forty years and I’ve actually been doing it wrong for forty years.”

Poo and pee

As an example, the farmer shows the floor of the barn. “In the 1990s I had to have special slats in the stables to collect all the faeces and urine of the cows. But now it appears that the coming together of poo and pee actually causes CO2.”

Text continues below the photo.

one of the last farmers of Haarlem – Michael van der Putten/NH Media

And so the entrepreneur has had a new floor with a special grid installed that keeps the cow urine and pies separate.

“But”, continues Van de Nes, who is on his knees, “that is so frustrating. The judges don’t know anymore either.” According to him, with such a new floor, some farmers will get the correct permit, while others will not. “And that is ultimately due to politics, which does not create clarity,” he concludes.

Being a farmer is fun

Despite all the struggles at play, Van de Nes remains positive. “Is it still fun to be a farmer? It’s a lot of fun”, he laughs. “Look, you can count your crosses, but you also have to count your blessings. And there are always more blessings.”

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