Winner of the Dutch Dairy Challenge 2024 - R4D pilot Farmer Stan Bosman
Family Bosman from De Krim in the province of Overijssel won the Dutch Dairy Challenge 2024. With the solution, named "Omission", is air from the barn through a drainage system being transported into the land soil.
The jury judged this activity as revolutionary and a special form of circular thinking. On the dairy farm with 120 milk cows, named the "Scheerse polder" , is through a drainage system the removed air from the barn transported into the soil. Micro-bacteria in the soil dissimilate methane to water and carbon dioxide, which are useful components for the plants, grass and crops. Stan Bosman argues that the air pushed into the soil is beneficial for the soil health and stimulates also life in the deeper part of the soil.
Stan Bosman does have this system implemented on his farm in an experimental set-up. According to Bosman the first results are promising. The drains in the soil are 8 meters apart and 60 cm deep. Above each drain can be seen a green wave of grass. Moreover, the gras is thought to be better protected against drought. Probably because the improved soil life makes the soil less compact and stimulates the capillairy capacity of the soil. His farm is part of a national networking project (Netwerk Praktijkbedrijven) and an European networking project (R4D)