Organic dairy farmers are excluded from the prizes in the ‘Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year’ election

Jasper and Afke Baukje Spierings from Oss were named Agricultural Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 on Wednesday, March 27. The entrepreneurs received the prestigious award from Minister Piet Adema of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The prize includes a check for €12,500. The Time Traveling Milkman has been voted the Best Food & Agri Start-up 2024. This means that both organic dairy farmer Peter Oosterhof and organic dairy farmers Joost, Liesbeth and Simon Samson have not been awarded the prizes. And this also applies to Trabotyx (start-up).

The prize was awarded for the 28th time. Jasper and Afke Baukje Spierings succeed dairy farmer Erik Back from Lutten. Boer Spierings, as Jasper and Afke Baukje’s company is known, is much more than a dairy farm. The company has its own cheese factory, butcher shop, shop, nature management and childcare.

The jury, led by Lely CEO Alexander van der Lely, chose Spierings from five nominees. The jury visits took place in February. ‘Five top entrepreneurs’, is how Van der Lely qualifies the candidates. “Every company has its own story. The ambition, passion and perseverance shine through. Everyone is an ambassador of entrepreneurship in agriculture and horticulture in their own way. That makes it beautiful, but at the same time difficult to choose a winner.”

Jury report
According to the jury, Boer Spierings fits into the future of the agricultural landscape. The dairy farm is the basis for expansion. The country store is the company’s calling card. Jasper and Afke Baukje Spierings sell milk from their own cows, cheese from their cheese factory De Ossekop and meat from their Brandrode cattle. Childcare is an integrated branch of the company. In their philosophy, it is important that children become aware of the relationship between people, animals and nature at an early age. In an intensive collaboration with Natuurmonumenten, 225 suckler cows graze in the floodplains. Jasper and Afke Baukje Spierings do business based on their ‘dream plan’, an outline for their future. The connection between people, animals and nature is central.

Audience Award
The four other nominees for the award were:

• Organic dairy farm Oosterhof in Foxwolde;
• Organic dairy farmers Joost, Liesbeth and Simon Samson in Wilnis;
• Tomesen Poultry Farm in Doetinchem;
• Arable farmers VOF Van den Hoek in Heinenoord.

Nearly 8,000 people voted for the People’s Choice Award. Entrepreneurs Roy and Maud Tomesen received the most votes. They received the Audience Award with a check for €2,500.

Food&Agri Start-up
The sector has numerous initiatives and innovations. Time Traveling Milkman has been voted the Best Food & Agri Start-up 2024. The start-up of Saskia Versteeg, Dimitris Karefyllakis and Costas Nikiforidis uses innovative techniques to extract basic dairy ingredients from vegetable seeds and seeds.

Time Traveling Milkman receives €2,500.

The two other nominees were Health Food Wall and Trabotyx.

For more information: www.agrarischondernemer.nl