Come and see, come and smell

But what happens at Ons Boerenerf is not all that special, Van Leeuwen says. There are more large-scale pig farmers in the Netherlands who make their own feed and are able to process large batches of residual products into high-quality pig feed. And sustainability measures are now being taken by many other farmers as well. "What makes us different, perhaps, is that we invite the consumer to our place and tell our story. The industry doesn't always have a positive attitude about it, and that largely stems from a lack of knowledge. That's why we've created an information center on our farm where the pigs can be followed in the barns on screens, and there's a sightseeing barn. My daughter runs a catering and meeting facility here, every Sunday it's sweet time here. This way we can let people see, hear and smell how things really work on a pig farm. During presentations and tours they discover that things are different than they think."

Intensive livestock farming as a necessary part of modern society

"5.5 to 6 tons of residual streams, where would that go if it weren't for the livestock farmers?"

In the whole chain, about one third of food production is lost in the Netherlands. Fortunately, a large part is processed into animal feed. In addition, there are still large quantities of residual streams such as beer bran, potato steam peels and soy or rapeseed meal, which can also be usefully processed into cattle feed, 60% for pigs and 40% for cattle.
Van Leeuwen: "In total we are talking about some 5.5 to 6 tons of residual streams! Where would that go if it weren't for the cattle farmers? In a modern society such as ours, these residual flows are simply a reality. And in order to handle these flows sustainably and profitably, you need a certain volume. Otherwise the food supplied will have spoiled before the cattle have had a chance to eat it."

More control, lower costs

Milling and mixing feed yourself offers not only a price advantage, but also the benefit of having more influence on the composition of the feed. At Ons Boerenerf, an expert is called in to always put together the optimal ration based on the available raw materials. Van Leeuwen: "The food matrix has been designed in such a way that the pigs receive all the nutrients they need and we can control their meat quality. By constantly analyzing the supply and prices of raw materials and calculating how to get the right mix at a competitive price, we save money."

In order to be able to grind and mix the feed themselves, the company has invested tons in equipment: a grain cleaner, 2 hammer mills - 1 for coarse and 1 for fine - , a feed mixer and storage for the homemade feed. Several other improvements have been made for the ideal "feed kitchen," such as indoor storage of the moisture-rich residuals to prevent spoilage and yard runoff.

Van Leeuwen: "FIFO, First In First Out, and automatic cleaning of the storage facilities guarantee a clean reception for each new load. This way, quality and food safety are guaranteed. Wet pumpable products, wet bulk products or dry products: we can now process it all. It results in a pig feed that suits the pig, the environment and our mission: to produce quality meat as sustainably and safely as possible."

Lower CO2 and phosphate

Ons Boerenerf, with the help of LIOF and Keyport, recently started a pilot to include CO2 load and phosphate content of the products in the ration compositions. This requires an entirely different approach to comparing and monitoring the available residual products. Continuity in quality and supply of products is needed to make safe feed. If the quality of a particular product is not good or the supply is temporarily lost, it must be possible to switch immediately to substitute products. This is one of the reasons why up to 22 different products can be processed. Van Leeuwen: "Specialist knowledge and research is required in order to be able to include the criteria of CO2 load and phosphate content in the composition. Thanks to this pilot, we can still learn a lot about how to react to deviating situations."

The future is scale

Van Leeuwen foresees further increases in scale in pig farms in the Netherlands, particularly in light of sustainability and the investments needed to comply with regulations. "Consumers think large pig farms smell bad and envision enormous stables crammed with pigs. But that is not at all the reality. Modern stables are divided into compartments and pigs are given plenty of space. We plan transport to the slaughterhouse carefully and choose short distances so that the animals experience as little discomfort as possible. Clean pens, pest control, ventilation, clever placement of manure grids, air scrubbers, balanced feed, automation: we invest heavily in responsible farming, for the pigs, for product quality and of course for the environment. Visitors are often pleasantly surprised by all these measures."

Every day pig

An annual turnover of more than 8 billion euros is generated by pig farming. With almost 2 million pigs, Limburg is the second pig province of the Netherlands. 70,000 pigs are slaughtered every week for the Dutch market. Of those 70,000 pigs, 25 to 30 kilos are consumed in the Netherlands. The rest, 210,000 pigs and slaughter by-products, must be added value in another way and in markets elsewhere. Van Leeuwen therefore dares to state that not a day goes by without the use of something from the pig. He shows me an impressively thick book with the most diverse products in which something from the pig has been used. In makeup and toothpaste, but also in bullets and in brake pads for train cars. "That too is an eye opener for many visitors to our company. It's not just about meat, it's about so much more. We let people know what they are eating, how that pork chop came about and how the whole system around food production works. That creates understanding and a more open attitude toward farmers."

Learning from mistakes

It seems as if Van Leeuwen's business is almost effortless and everything is going smoothly at Ons Boerenerf. "Of course, things do fail from time to time. For example, consumers can also order meat packages directly from us, but that is not going well. We underestimated what was involved. And I also had to learn how to tell our story. In the beginning I sometimes went to events with a stand and expected people to come to me because they were curious. Well, no one came. Now I know that I have to take the initiative and speak to people. In no time there will be a whole group of people listening."

Four generations of farmers

Van Leeuwen's grandparents started farming a hundred years ago, his parents took over the business and forty years ago he entered the business himself. Now his son has been active in the company for years and he himself is gradually taking a step back. "When you talk about sustainable business, you talk about building a healthy company that will still be around in 10 or 20 years' time. That is why we continue to invest and think about the impact of our actions, both on ourselves and on our surroundings. Doing business is just a lot of fun!"

Other sources: AD, 20-03-2018, Vion, POV, Duynie.

Innovation tips from Aad van Leeuwen

Van Leeuwen has four tips for other agricultural companies.

1. Continue innovating, don't think: it will take my time. You pass on a relay baton at full speed!
2. Think carefully about the competences you need to grow your business as you set your course. It has to suit you.
3. Seek uncolored advice. For example, engage your own financial advisor and don't just be guided by your bank.
4. Cooperate with farmers in the area, for example, share knowledge about prices and quality of feed in a group app, or exchange land with fellow field farmers.