A strong organic supply chain
From seeds to the drying of the harvested herb, all steps are organically certified. A short supply chain, where a group of organic growers jointly handle cultivation and processing while working towards a common sales market.
Organic seeds
As organic growers, we naturally want to work with organic seed material. Through years of experience, we know the right seed suppliers for the best organic herb seeds.
This is how we start our chain organically, and how we continue to build on our herb supply chain.
Organic seedlings
With the organic seeds, we naturally want to grow organic seedlings in the greenhouse to ensure a strong start to our cultivation. After about 8 weeks at the nursery, the seedlings are ready to be planted in our organic fields.
In the field
Before making the final plot selection, our fields are first tested for potential residues of crop protection agents from the distant past. We aim to start strong. And because we understand the supply chain and know that our buyers dry and possibly later extract, which concentrates even the smallest amounts, we are aware that even undetectable levels in fresh products could be detected due to concentration in the next stage of the process.
About us
In early 2021, several experienced herb growers came up with the idea of joining forces to collectively manage the cultivation, production, and sales of organic herbs. In the summer of the same year, the cooperative VOTANA - the organic herb growers was founded.
VOTANA is a cooperative established by organic herb growers. The cooperative aims to maintain and, where possible, expand the cultivation of organic herbs. The conscious choice was made for 100% organic, creating a closed supply chain with only organic cultivation and processing.
As VOTANA, we are ambitious and strive for healthy growth. We encourage the exchange of accumulated experience and aim to secure the knowledge of organic herb cultivation. An important part of this is the organization and promotion of the sales of organic herbs.
We would like to introduce our growers to you:
Bioakker
In 2016, we founded the organic farming company Bioakker. We are the Antuma family (see photo). Together, we cultivate various vegetable and herb crops, such as Valerian and Echinacea, along the Vecht River in the province of Overijssel.
We draw energy from working in harmony with nature, and it gives us great satisfaction to make a living from this work. Both Chris and Judith have completed higher agricultural education. The experience Chris has gained over the years through his many travels abroad, where he oversaw various crop operations, is now applied in our organic farming business. We are a forward-thinking and innovative company, continuously seeking the right cycles for sustainability.
The farmland (50 hectares) and farming systems are certified organic by SKAL. As a family business, we believe it is important to contribute to closing cycles within a sustainable farming system.
All the crops we grow are preferably pre-sold with the shortest possible supply chain to the customer. This allows us to respond well to their needs and receive direct feedback on the quality of our products.
We are very pleased to participate in the Votana organic farming cooperative. Short supply chains and transparent sales of organic herbs are key to our approach.
You are warmly welcome to visit our organic fields in the beautiful village of Junne.
With green regards,
The Antuma Family
Mts. Dun
My name is Jaap Dun, and together with my wife Christien, we have three children. Our family has been farming on this land in Musselkanaal for more than 125 years. The current area covers about 96 hectares, 50 of which are organic and 46 conventional. In 2018, we began the transition to organic farming. We chose organic farming because we were searching for a healthy and future-proof way of growing crops.
Before joining the farm, I studied plant cultivation at HAS University in Dronten and completed an additional study at Platteville University in Wisconsin, USA. Two years after taking over the farm from my parents, I went on a study trip as a Nuffield Scholar. By visiting many different farms around the world, my perspective on agriculture changed. Upon returning from this trip, my wife and I decided that we wanted to farm organically.
We also expanded the number of crops we grow from 3 to 12. On the conventional side, the crop rotation was increased from 3 to 5 crops, and on the organic land, we now grow 7 crops that we hadn’t previously cultivated. With this new approach to farming and the wide range of new crops, we see plenty of opportunities and challenges for the future!
Biologisch landbouwbedrijf “De Gulle Aarde”
At present, we are cultivating approximately 77 hectares of land, all of which is organic. The crops we currently grow include Valerian, Carrots, Green Beans, Chicory, Oats, Grass/Clover, Corn, Buckwheat, and for seed multiplication: Curly Parsley, Zucchini, Pumpkin, Pak Choi, and Spinach.
For many years, we have collaborated with an organic dairy farmer and an organic poultry/arable farm. In this partnership, we exchange land (to allow for a wider crop rotation), grow feed for the organic cows and chickens (feed from our own land), and exchange manure.
In this way, we have created a mixed organic farm where the cycles are closed, and everyone focuses on what they do best.
After completing my studies and traveling for a year, I started the farm in Oosterhesselen. For me, it was natural to do this organically. The decline in biodiversity, the persistence of residues in the soil and products, and the drastic reduction in insect populations, in my opinion, partly due to current intensive farming methods, confirm that choosing organic farming was the right decision. Farming with nature, not against it!
Every year, I marvel at the power and beauty of nature, amazed that the small seed I plant in the spring grows into a beautiful crop. If I take good care of the Earth, the Earth is generous to me!
Since 2021, Mart Everts has been working with us on the farm. The plan is for Mart to eventually take over from me, ensuring the continuation of organic farming practices.
“De Gulle Aarde”.
Since 2003, the farm has been certified organic.
Owner: Gerard Lanting
Partner: Garma Fokke
Children: Luc, Bart, and Rien
Education: Van Hall Institute, Groningen (now located in Leeuwarden)
Hobbies: Making music, drawing, international projects
Organic Farm Mts. Prins
We are Arjan and Fokko Prins, two brothers who have the privilege of running our family farm together. We both have agricultural education at the higher professional (HBO) and university (WO) levels. In our 50s now, we both have families who support us in the farm work whenever needed.
Since 2017, we have been farming organically, cultivating a total of 140 hectares. We decided to switch to organic farming because it allows us to produce safe food for consumers. With organic farming, we are closely connected to nature, and we greatly value this aspect of organic cultivation.
In addition to our families, we work with three permanent employees and a self-employed contractor (ZZP’er). We also enjoy working with young students and interns on our farm. During the season, we have between 10 and 25 seasonal workers helping on the farm and in the fields. Our crop plan includes herbs (Valerian and Echinacea), vegetable crops, and fodder crops.
When Votana was founded, we invested in our organic washing line. We modified the washing line to ensure that herb crops, such as Valerian and Echinacea purpurea roots, can be properly washed at our facility. Root crops from other Votana growers are also washed on our washing line.
Bio Boerderij Oosting
My name is Harro Oosting, and together with my wife Bernice and our children, we live on our farm in Zwinderen. We are the third generation on this farm. In 2005, we took over the farm from my parents. At that time, it was a conventional farm with free-range chickens.
In 2010, we began the transition to organic farming, and in 2012 we were able to introduce our first organic laying hens in the barn. That same year, we decided to convert all our land (25 hectares) to organic. We registered our fields with SKAL, and by 2014, our entire farm was fully organic.
The decision to go organic was driven by several reasons. We were actually too small to continue in conventional farming; we had too few chickens and too few hectares, so we needed to make a change to survive. In addition, we realized that working differently, without pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and being more in tune with nature, appealed to us much more. So, what started as a necessity became an ideology and a new way of working and living.
In the early years, we grew many intensive crops, such as green beans, chives, and pumpkins. However, because these crops require a lot of time and attention, and we also need to focus fully on our chickens, we decided to shift the focus of our farming operations. Now, we mainly grow wheat and corn to feed the chickens.
In addition, we enjoy cultivating Valerian or Echinacea for the Votana Cooperative, where we experience the strength of collaborating with other organic farms.
Harro en Bernice Oosting
Zwinderen
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