Illuminated tractor parades, Christmas menu boxes and routes past illuminated farms with stalls. The event ‘Farmers and gardeners go all out for Christmas’ can count on even more enthusiasm from the sector. Almost all departments of the Agriculture and Horticulture Organization (LTO) in North Holland participate.
For example, an illuminated tractor parade is already planned in West Friesland on December 8. At 5 p.m. a procession of 70 tractors, decorated with Christmas lights and other decorations, will leave through the region. “The enthusiasm is even greater,” says Marbel de Graaf, provincial chairman of LTO Noord-Holland Noord. “On those days it is great to see how much solidarity there is. Not only between farmers but also with visitors.”
The event literally and figuratively brings light to anxious days. The sector is in the news a lot. “It is difficult to make your company future-proof, you sometimes don’t know what investments you can make. The government finds it difficult to set out the broad outlines,” De Graaf explains, “This event is therefore also a heartfelt message. belt. You also notice that there is a lot of sympathy among the public for the position of the farmers.”
Colorful
The politicians are therefore also invited to come and watch during ‘Farmers and gardeners go all out for Christmas’. “Then they can see how colorful our sector is in these dark days. The differences also fade. Whether you are an organic or regular farmer, young or old, starting or finishing, the contradictions disappear,” says Marbel de Graaf.
The version in the Hollands Kroon region proves that the event is a success among the public. There it grew out of control. In recent years, various routes could be ridden there where a fixed course had to be followed. “That asked so much of the voluntary organization that it was decided to let go of the routes. People can now plot a route themselves based on a list of participants,” says the chairman of the LTO in North Holland North.
The farms in Hollands Kroon will open their doors on December 16. Look here for the complete program in North Holland.