A dairy farmer from Giessenburg in the Netherlands is exploring the use of vertical farming to grow fresh grass for cattle feed. Wouter Slob's idea initially raised eyebrows, but the concept has now been put into practice with a pilot installation at a vertical farm in Bleiswijk.
So far, Slob is satisfied with the quality of the grass grown in the system. "It really smells like fresh spring grass. Cows would love this," he said.
At present, the project is still in the experimental phase and vertical grass cultivation is not yet being applied on a larger scale. According to Brigit den Bakker, a researcher in greenhouse horticulture and vertical farming at Delphy Improvement Center, the focus is currently on establishing a solid foundation.
"In this stage, we are mainly working on the basics. You first need to build a good foundation before deciding which parameters to adjust," she explained.
Slob hopes to install a pilot setup at his own farm in Giessenburg by early 2027. Wider adoption of vertical grass cultivation is expected to take several more years, with estimates suggesting that larger-scale implementation could take place within about five years.
© Delphy Improvement Centre
Slob, owner of Kaas van Boer Slob, previously won the Dutch Dairy Challenge with his idea to feed his cows fresh "spring grass" year-round by growing it in a vertical farm. With support from a voucher from the Fieldlab Vertical Farming program, he is now further developing the business case together with Fieldlab partners Logiqs and Delphy.
Source: Rijnmond
