High visit for the men’s farmers of Assen. And of the jury of the prestigious title Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year. Because the Hof van Rhee Herenboerderij, thanks to supreme farmer Henk Boer, is one of the five national nominees.
Manager Henk Boer had to scratch his ears for a moment when he heard that he was one of the candidates with his men’s farm with 500 members. “Fantastic of course. And also very exciting. It is a huge boost and appreciation for what we have put down here in five years. It was all grassland and corn for this. You have to see what is now, incredibly anyway,” he says The 62-year-old Assenaar beaming.
Henk Boer is rapidly chasing the group of jury members about the twenty hectare that the cooperative has, because their time is only limited. They walk at a rapid pace along fruit trees, past fields where vegetables come on again, farmer points to the Brandrode cattle and then on the chicken caravan with laying hens. The pigs that roam around in the spring, summer and autumn are, according to De Boer, ‘just on winter sports’, says it with a wink. In other words, minced meat in pieces, and placed in the freezer.
Once inside the canteen, jury chairman Ger Koopmans, chairman of LTO Nederland, the club of the Herenboeren hands over the coveted sign, which belongs to the nomination. “For your entire club as Hof van Rhee, as a token of appreciation,” says Koopmans, who then quickly continues with all jury members, on the way to one of the four other nominees. Because they are all inspected.
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