About Dairy Campus

‘Inspiring the dairy supply chain of the future’

Our mission is to play a self-confident pioneering role in future-proofing the dairy farming sector by providing concrete insights, advice and tools. In doing so, we take the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into account by carrying out expert and objective research and sharing and demonstrating our conclusions, advice and insights.

Our role is to help our clients make the right choices during the challenging transition from theory to practice in the process of innovation and knowledge development. We help them take their ideas from the drawing board to reality efficiently and effectively. [Text Wrapping Break]In doing so, Dairy Campus is helping to develop the dairy supply chain of the future.

We have an innovative centre with 500 data-producing dairy cows, 6 research cowsheds, 300 hectares of land and training facilities at our disposal, backed up by our excellent connections in the supply chain, our extensive network of first-class researchers and our close links to education and the Dairy Campus farms.

‘Establishing Dairy Campus as a cutting-edge centre of expertise rooted firmly in the agricultural sector’ 

Dairy Campus is a hub where gaps in the sector are bridged, interests are brought together and strengths are pooled. Dairy Campus also has a catalyst function. It is a place where closely knit networks are created that also benefit collaboration between the organisations concerned and university and school students in associated areas and at different levels. 

We put a lot of effort into explaining what we do here at Dairy Campus. It’s a hive of activity, ranging from research, education and training to meetings, demonstrations and field trips. 

We show how colourful and diverse our work is here through our testing grounds and on-site events, but also by creating links to existing attractions and organisations. Every visitor leaves the site armed with plenty of knowledge about what goes on here and inspiration about what can be achieved. 

Dairy Campus inspires the dairy supply chain. This enables us to fulfil a proactive role in our relationship with the public, because products such as cheese and milk ultimately find their way to consumers' tables. 

The role of the consumer has gone from strength to strength over the past decade. Consumers are demanding ever more, making it even more important for us to interact with the people and organisations around us. 

Between early 2015 and mid-2016, work started on a unique combination of education, research, practice and innovation at Dairy Campus, resulting in the current multi-facility site. 

Dairy Campus can be seen as the culmination of a development that was started in the 1950s. At that time, a number of model farms were set up that would later be turned into six regional research centres. These centres – Cranendonck, De Vlierd, Zegveld, Aver Heino, Waiboerhoeve and Nij Bosma Zathe – came under the auspices of Wageningen University & Research in early 2000.  

In 2008-2009, all stakeholders agreed to centralise these centres at one site that could then be upgraded. This created one single national knowledge centre with multiple functions focusing on innovation, research, education and practice for dairy farming and the dairy supply chain. And so the Dairy Campus concept was born.

It was decided to create this centre in Leeuwarden, on the site of the former experimental farm Nij Bosma Zathe. Friesland is the foremost dairy province in the Netherlands, boasting large numbers of agricultural businesses. The Frisian capital is also home to the research institutes Van Hall Larenstein and Nordwin College, both of which offer agricultural study programmes. The municipality of Leeuwarden and the province of Friesland shared the ambitions to create a Dairy Campus.  

In early 2016 Dairy Campus was still split between two sites, Dairy Campus Leeuwarden and Waiboerhoeve in Lelystad. With the opening of the new building, everything is now concentrated at one site, Dairy Campus Leeuwarden. 
The grand opening was held on 26 May 2016. Under the watchful eye of more than 400 representatives of the dairy sector, the then State Secretary of Economic Affairs Martijn van Dam officially opened the facility. In doing so, he endorsed the unique mix of research, education and innovation under one roof.

Since the launch we have welcomed around 10,000 visitors per year, Coronavirus lockdown periods excepted. Fifteen percent of our visitors come from outside the Netherlands. We occasionally welcome VIP guests, too: in November 2017, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Carola Schouten came for an extended guided tour, and Prime Minister Mark Rutte visited Dairy Campus in August 2018.