25 May 2022
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Local Learning and Eating producers of vegetables, fruit, dairy, grain, fish and meat work together with Rendiz and people with a distance to the labor market to make elementary school pupils happy with fresh and healthy food. A beautiful initiative that arose from passion and the conviction that things can be done differently. But how can you do it differently? Local dairy producer Zuivel van Nu and Lerend-Eten, the link between the two, can tell us all about it.
This is part 2 of the story of Lerend-Eten & Zuivel van Nu. First read part 1.
An honest story
"By telling an honest story, we are laying a good foundation for students, for our new generations. It was one of our motivations to start producing fresh dairy products ourselves. We have the milk, the knowledge and can give people the space to experience the farm. And therefore also to start consuming. If we can offer our products in that way at elementary school, together with Lerend-Eten, that really is a very nice step," says Ineke.
"We have the milk, the knowledge and can give people the space to experience the farm."
Successful pilot program
Basisschool de Toermalijn in Tegelen has, in cooperation with the municipality of Venlo, done everything to make Learning to Eat possible. Marianne: "De Toermalijn already had healthy packed lunches from the supermarket. But this is just different, they notice the difference. The inspiration and the story make it a better fit on all fronts."
It does set something in motion, as other schools fortunately see this as well. Thus, the initiative is starting to take shape more and more. If Learning to Eat really wants to become feasible on a larger scale, more schools will have to join in. "We feel it is a mission, from the movement we make from ourselves, to contribute and to see how we want to do this as a society. Once the need is felt to give children healthy food - as little processed as possible and from local growers, because that is also the goal of course - and they understand what they are eating, the willingness will also be much greater," according to Marianne.
The short chain
In answer to the question of what Zuivel van Nu does differently compared to the past, Ineke replied, "Actually, we are doing the same as the first generation. The short chain used to be very normal. Products were produced, processed and marketed regionally. But then the next generation arrived and technology developed further and further. People were able to do much more and wanted much more. Dairy processing was centralized and there was an increasing need for simplicity, such as long shelf life products. The factories responded well to this."
"Actually, we are doing the same thing again as the first generation. In the past, the short chain was very normal."
New Generation
New Generation
In the new generation, you see people rethinking where their food comes from. After all, what is actually produced regionally? Corona has certainly contributed to that. Ineke: "More and more people are finding their way to the farm. The appreciation of customers who come to us for fresh dairy products is great. In fact, this is at odds with the criticism that is often levelled at livestock farming. Our goal is to produce fresh dairy products in cooperation with and for our environment. Of course, we do this with love and care for our animals, whose health always comes first.
Other mindset
"Now we are going back to small-scale, regional and as little processed food as possible. We offer dairy that is only pasteurized, or made food safe. This does mean that our products have a shorter shelf life. That's still a little thing. It's up to us to teach people to look at a product, smell it and taste it. Often you can consume it longer than the expiration date indicates. In the context of food waste, it is also important that we all learn to do that," Ineke said.
This article is the second part of the story of Learning to Eat & Dairy of Now. Part 3 will follow soon.
