"Thanks to this grant, we can really invest in the future of our farm."

Foekje van der Meer (26) took over her uncle's farm in 2023. Together with her boyfriend, she now takes care of 80 dairy cows and 35 young animals. "Taking over a farm costs a lot of money," she says. "Fortunately, we got a grant. That allows us to tackle things now."

Source: RVO.nl

Improving Farm Business

Van der Meer was awarded the Subsidy for Settlement of Young Farmers (SVJL). That's a cash prize of €80,000. She is using it to make her farm better. "We are going to renew the fences near the feed," she said.

In order to get the grant, Van der Meer had to create a business plan. "You have to tell what you are going to do with the money. You also have to show what your business looks like and what you want in the future. We got a little help with that, but it wasn't too bad. A lot of things you can do yourself, too."

Take better care of the animals

Van der Meer finds that young farmers often dare to try new things. "For example, we work with small devices attached to the cow's collar. These measure, for example, whether the cow is eating well. That way we can take better care of the animals."

Conditions for subsidy

Arable farmer Brian Vos also sees the subsidy as an opportunity. "In the first year you incur a lot of costs. This money helps to get started."

An important condition is that you continue with your farm in the same way for 5 years. Vos: "For example, you may not just start keeping fewer cows. Also, you must continue to run the farm as the head of the farm."