De Zonnekouter - Small scale (6 ha) biodynamic mixed farm , mainly - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

De Zonnekouter

• Small scale (6 ha) biodynamic mixed farm,

mainly vegetables (2 ha) in open field and partly covered

• Family farm: Walter + An + 2 employees + 1 trainee Landwijzer

+ in summer seasonal workers.

• Next year plan: coöperative farm ‘De Zonnekouter’

De Zonnekouter

• Direct selling our vegetables

to consumers: different alliances (membership, voedselteams), and in the farm shop

• Alliance ‘De Vroente’ with 2 college bd-farms in the neighbourhood (De

Kollebloem en Ourobouros) to increase the variety of sold vegetables

• Association ‘Land-in-zicht’ bought 4ha land for ‘De Zonnekouter’ (with gifts
• f customers)

Aims in n selling ing ou

• ur vegetab

getables es to to con

• nsumer

umers:

• Selling all our vegetables directly, with minimal losses or remains
• Have a good stable income for all the people working on the farm

payment in advance

• Maintain our own crop quality standards (open pollinated variaties with

good taste)

• Supply our customers a year round with fresh local bd & organic

vegetables at a fair price

• Restore the link farm - city, engage customers in supporting the farm,

commitment!, raising awareness, learn them about nutrition

Ways of dis istri tributi buting ng our vege egetables ables to to cons nsume umers:

On demand : additional fruitpackages, mixed veg/fruit and bread (weekly), potatoes (once a month) (alliances with nearby organic fruit- and potatofarmers and an organic bakery)

These are delivered on 30 different points in 3 rides (60+100+60km) in and around city of Gent to members and teams (with own van and rented one) Weekly packages every Friday: small or big veg = core business of farm

Peak of tomatoyield : processed and put in packages in winter

Two

• types

es of allian ances ces with h our cust stomer mers s :

• Zonnekouter-membership

Nearly 200 Zonnekouter-members take our package weekly: Individual commitment the whole year round;direct communication Monthly payment in advance , administration for farmer Summer holidays less problem,if they go on holiday they compensate afterwards = stable income for the farm of 250 packages/week = 13.500€/month (mostly vegetables) More difficult to organise as group

• Zonnekouter-Voedselteam alliance

500 (?) Members of Voedselteams in Gent can order our package weekly Consumer groups = opportunity!! (not used now, no direct contact farm) Monthly payment after 1 or 2 months, no farm administration No big commitment to the farm: they can choose freely every week Summer holidays is big problem (big productio,no big order) = variable income 120-250 packages/week = 6.500-13.500€/month; (half fruit/half vegetables)).

A way of educating the customers, and help them on the path…

• !!! Weekly newsletter in the package, with tales of the farmland and -life
• Farm visits, yearly open farm days,
• harvest days, Farm restauration
• Motivate them to become member
• Participating in buying the farmland (association ‘Land-in-zicht’)
• Next year: Participating

in the Zonnekouter cooperative

Allianc liances es be betw tween een farm rmer er and and customer

• mer: ho

how to to nourish ish?

De De Vroent

• ente:

regional alliance of 3 small scale biodynamic farmers

• growing seasonal vegetables for direct selling at a fair price
• based on solidarity and mutual agreement
• developing new economic and social structures in agriculture

• Collective crop production plan = Broad assortiment of vegetables!!!
• Biodynamic quality (tasty varieties, freshly harvested, care for the land

and the crop)

• Fixed fair prices (+ when the harvest is poor we raise the prices, so the

consumer shares in the harvest risk)

• Collective (alternate) transport of vegetables

2x/week (Monday + Wednesday): 2x 90 km

• Communication to make the coöperation last:
• yearly meeting: crop planning and price setting in mutual agreement
• monthly meetings to exchange on crop quantity and

quality, on transport problems, on communication problems, …

• nce a year: problem-solving and study weekend

De De Vroent

• ente:

How do we work together?

Farm Members (Gent - Zulte) Voedselteams (Gent) Farm Members Farm Members Voedselteams Farm shop Farm shop GASAP (Brussels) Market (Brussels)

Ouro robou bouro ros

De De Vroe

• ent

nte:

Selling our products

sunday tuesday tuesday Tuesday - saturday Friday-saturday wednesday wednesday friday friday

Restaurants (Gent)

wednesday Monday + wednesday

Organic bakery Fruitfarm Organic wholesaler