The Floating Farm in the Port of Rotterdam has called off a planned sale and is continuing dairy production under a revised arrangement, after its 28 Dutch MRI cows were moved to several farms about 20 km away. The reversal marks another shift for a project originally intended to show how farming could be scaled sustainably.
The change follows a dispute with the local environmental department over a new floor that officials said did not comply with Dutch regulations. The farm had been put up for sale, the cows had been removed and milk production was set to stop. According to Peter van Wingerden, the farm is no longer being sold, milk and other dairy products are still being produced, and a vertical crop-growing enterprise in the basement of the floating structure is performing well.
From port showcase to revised operation
Floating Farm was conceived by Peter and Minke van Wingerden and involved a €4 million investment in on-site feeding, milking, slurry handling and dairy production. It opened in May 2019 as a futuristic attempt to produce food sustainably without the usual need for land. The farm produced milk and dairy products for local consumers, who could buy them from vending machines at the site. It attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world.
Van Wingerden said the farm has the lowest emissions possible because of its modern technology and system, but the rubber floor is German and has no compliance certificate in the Netherlands. A stainless steel pipeline runs from the quay to the farm. A regular dairy truck brings milk from the dairy for use twice a week, at about 1,500 litres per batch.
Vertical unit adds crops and products
The basement vertical farm is a fully controlled, automated growing space with three layers and conveyor belts, combining grow-room and warehouse technology. Four crop types are grown: micro-greens harvested every two weeks, herbs every three weeks, leafy greens every four weeks and edible flowers every four to five weeks.
According to Van Wingerden, the crops are used to make tea, pesto, herb-infused salts and herb-infused whey, alongside Parmigiano cheese. The vertical unit sits below the waterline and is cooled by the water.
The floating farm also faces a fixed deadline at its current location. Van Wingerden said it will have to leave the port in just over two years because the entire area is to become residential. He said the current setup is not the original vision, but the operation is coping with the system, and the 20 km distance between milk supplier and farm allows a short transport time.