Our company enjoys a rich history dating back to 1916, when my grandfather founded it as a mixed farm with cows and pigs. Later my father took over, and now I am the third generation to continue this fantastic work. I run the company together with my wife Jet. Jet handles the administrative tasks, while I take care of everything related to farm operations. Our son-in-law helps me with this. The future of the company looks promising: Our daughter and son-in-law are ready to take over the business from us in due course. This will keep it in the family, something we are very proud of.

We raise our calves according to the Peter’s Farm Rosé Beter Leven system. This means that the calves have unlimited access to fibre-rich roughage pellets with chopped straw, corn and fresh drinking water. They live in a spacious barn with abundant natural light, fresh air, and plenty of room to engage in their natural behaviours. Skippy balls, rubbing brushes and even pacifiers provide plenty of fun distractions. In addition to calves, we also have young cattle. The young cattle stays on our farm for about 2 months and then go back to the dairy farmer to become dairy cows. Our company is surrounded by grassland and cornfields. We feed our calves with the products we harvest from there.

Personal care and love for the calves is paramount!

Robotisation has its advantages, but personal care and love for the calves is most important. Our calves are in good hands. If necessary, I get up several times a night, because personal care and love for the animals are our top priorities. I find great satisfaction in seeing the calves healthy and thriving. I'm an all-rounder, not a specialist. I've done all the modifications to the stables myself. Although the future for farmers in the Netherlands is uncertain (due in part to nitrogen measures and stricter legislation), we remain passionate about doing what we do best. We can be proud of how the Netherlands is leading the way globally in animal welfare, food safety, efficiency and sustainability.

Sustainability is of paramount importance to us. We have enough solar panels to be energy neutral. Even so, what makes our farm unique is that we heat the milk for the calves electrically. During the cold months, every calf that arrives at our farm is fitted with its own body warmer to keep it comfortable and warm. These may seem like small touches, but they make a world of difference to the calves.

In addition to her work at the company, Jet is also creatively engaged with her hobbies: painting, flower arranging and working in her vegetable garden. As for myself, I like to tinker with machines. For example, years ago, I bought an old tractor, took it apart and refurbished it, which was a wonderful project alongside my farming work.

• Hein and Jet Wijngaards
• Established in Beemte-Broekland, Gelderland
• 1 child
• A Peter's Farm Rosé Beter Leven veal farmer since 2024
• What sets us apart: we heat the milk for our calves electrically and feed the calves the milk during the first few weeks using a mobile milk shuttle