30 March 2022
Praktijkverhalen
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Before the couple explains why grazing is so important, they look back at the history of Farm Pouwer. Theo: 'My parents had a dairy farm in Wijchen, Gelderland. When that farm had to make way for a recreational lake and they couldn't find another location nearby, they ended up in Weert. They started again here at the Geuzendijk in 1974.
A healthy herd gives job satisfaction. Theo: 'There's nothing better than walking through a meadow on a summer day with the cows enjoying the fresh grass and the sun.
For Theo and Hanny, animal health comes first. After one of their daughters got sick, Theo and Hanny found out how important the intestines are for good health and what damage antibiotics can do. It changed their view on antibiotics drastically. Hanny: 'It even made us decide not to administer antibiotics to the calves anymore. If you decide to do that, you have to change your business operations.' This brings Hanny back to calf rearing: 'A strong herd starts with good care of the calves. We make sure the calves get cow's milk three times a day. We choose cow's milk instead of artificial milk, because cow's milk comes fresh from nature. After two weeks, the calves are given hay and pellets in addition to the cow's milk.' Theo and Hanny also think it's important that the cows get good nutrition. Theo: 'We feed our cows food without the use of genetic modification. Besides good nutrition, movement is very important to us. So the animals go outside as much as possible to get some exercise.
Another take on antibiotics
Nutrition and exercise
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Future business
With regard to the future, Hanny tells us that daughter Kristi has added a care branch to the dairy farm; 'She supports children and adults who are having a hard time and can't find their way in life. She uses her horses for that. Meanwhile, Theo and Hanny continue to focus on dairy cattle. Theo: 'We still have a lot of passion for our work. We want to stay busy. What it will eventually look like is still a surprise. We'll find a way together. Theo and Hanny hope that agriculture, arable farming and horticulture will remain an important sector in the Netherlands, so that the Netherlands can remain a self-sufficient country in terms of food. With an eye for people, animals and nature.
Farmers of Weert
This article is part of a series about the Farmers of Weert. This is an initiative of local Weert farmers and cattle breeders who would like to show who they are, what they do and how they turn social challenges into opportunities. More information: www.boerenvanweert.nl.