Sharing natural pest control knowledge in our 'Zeeasterweg' Farmer Cluster...
The Flevoland Agricultural Collective organised an event on the 22nd June called "Flevoland bloeit," or 'Flevoland Blooms' ~ focusing on nature-inclusive farming.
The event saw farmers attend from our Zeeasterweg Cluster, along with their Cluster Facilitator as well as scientists from the University Of Amsterdam who are working closely with the group.
Cluster Facilitator Lennard Duijvestijn, Dr Paul van Rijn and doctoral candidate Laura Mansier from the university's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics operated a stand promoting nature-inclusive farming methods for natural pest control.
This provided an opportunity to interact directly with farmers from the group and wider region, sharing biodiversity monitoring data and insights gathered from within the Zeeasterweg Cluster.
Sessions held by the team also informed farmers about monitoring insects using pan and pitfall traps as well as selecting specific plant species to attract insects that are natural enemies of common pests.
It was a great opportunity to share FRAMEwork's approach to making informed land management decisions based on biodiversity monitoring by farmers, citizens and scientists - working together to build up a useful picture of ecological dynamics in farming systems.
More Information
So what is FLAC Flevoland?
Established in 2015 as the Flevoland Agricultural Collective, BoerenNatuur Flevoland has since become important to the central Flevoland region.
This region is Holland's newest province, created through a land reclamation project known as the Zuiderzee Works. These works transformed parts of the Zuiderzee, a large saltwater inlet, into polder land which is now part of the mainland.
The collective, formed by and for farmers, serves as a crucial meeting point and forum for farmers, government, NGOs and other stakeholders interested in nature-friendly farming practices.
Responsible for Europe's Agricultural Nature and Landscape Management (ANLb) in the region, BoerenNatuur Flevoland facilitates financial compensation for members engaged in agricultural nature management. They aim to support the integration of agricultural productivity and environmental stewardship.
How Does it relate to our Zeeasterweg Farmer Cluster?
FRAMEwork's Dutch Farmer Cluster is located in the heart of this collective and involves many of its members. The Cluster totals ten farms covering 600 hectares and integrates both conventional and organic farming systems: primarily crops like cereals as well as orchards, grassland and market garden produce along with livestock like free range cattle and poultry.
The cluster is interested in enhancing biodiversity and utilising natural pest control methods. Many of the farm businesses are guided by a desire to be more sustainable and directly provide consumers with greener produce through their farm shops and vending machines.
Measures implemented by the Cluster include dedicating 5% of the farmland to environmental schemes - mainly flower strips and bird fields that support key functional biodiversity and also species of interest or concern.
The Zeeasterweg Cluster acts as a 'living lab' for FRAMEwork's biodiversity monitoring and emerging scientific research on pest control measures.
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