Dairy farmers Marente and Jaap Hupkes from Voorst, the Netherlands are rewarded with €1000,- by ‘Het Innovatiefonds Farmers for Farmers (IFFF, ‘The innovation fund Farmers for Farmers’) for their breakthrough innovation. The Dutch fund is an initiative from ForFarmers B.V., a producer and supplier of feed for cattle.
Management
The IFFF rewarded five innovations in total. It stimulates farmers to develop ideas, to execute them and share the knowledge and experience. In this way the fund enlarges the joint innovation power of the agricultural sector and enables the development of a stronger and healthier sector.
Marente and Jaap Hupkes created an innovative way of enabling cows to cross the road by themselves. The name of this project is ‘Cow Klara has right of way’. This project comprises a crossover with grids on both sides plus a sign indicating that the other traffic needs to pay attention and allow right of way to the cows. Car drivers are not allowed to go faster than 30 kilometers per hour in the vicinity of the crossover. In the bank there will be swing gates for pedestrians.
An advantage of this solution is that the cows are able to visit the milking robot – without any obstacles – whenever they want. Another advantage of this cow crosswalk is that the cows are able to visit a new area of fresh grass which results in more fresh feed for the cows and better grassland management. In other words, the cross over increases grazing possibilities. More farmers have already shown interest in this solution.
The location of the crosswalk.
Sources: de Stentor ( www.destentor.nl ), For Farmers ( www.forfarmers.eu ), www.verantwoordeveehouderij.nl
