“I am a doer and a visual thinker. I want to contribute to sustainability, environment and health through practical work and creative solutions; for a better world and a better society. If everyone sits around waiting for someone else to do something, nothing is ever going to happen.”

“The shore will force the ship to turn; good farming is becoming very important”

Erik Dubbink (44) is a first-year student at Warmonderhof at the time of this interview. He is doing the biodynamic cultivation worker course.

“The combination of physical work, creative thinking and figuring everything out suits me perfectly. Actually, everything I have done in my life before this is now coming together very nicely here: from sports and scouting to planning and lifestyle coaching. I can still combine the two years this course will take with my family. Here I learn about the complete picture of biodynamic agriculture: from soil fertility to crop growing, the cycle with livestock farming and direct customer contact. I see a parallel in how we should treat the soil and how we should treat ourselves: doing away with ready-made packets and sachets. We need to feed ourselves with slowly cultivated, healthy food. Ultimately, it’s about behavioural change, in both cases.

Pioneers need to be confident

I worked as a lifestyle coach for many years. When I started, everyone said, ‘You won’t be able to earn a living doing that’. And now lifestyle coaching is covered in the basic health insurance package. Meanwhile, I started this course in biodynamic agriculture and now people are again saying: ‘You won’t be able to earn a living doing that’ But I take the totally opposite view. I believe that in the future more people will die as a result of inactivity and nutrition-related diseases and ailments than from anything else. The shore will force the ship to turn; well executed agriculture will become particularly important. The reason people in the world’s ‘Blue Zones’ live so long is: adequate physical labour, alongside a diet of pure and unprocessed food. Surely that speaks for itself?

I want to learn everything there is to learn about cultivation

Currently, I’m focussing entirely on growing fruits and vegetables. That’s where I see the brightest future. Most of our protein consumption should be plant-based. I want to learn everything there is to learn so that I can be of use to my future employer as soon as possible. Every season is different, so you do have to have a few years’ experience before you can say: I can work as an independent horticulturist.
Currently, I’m doing an internship at Herenboeren aan den Drecht in Leimuiden; that’s a farm where the farmer is employed by about two hundred and twenty consumer-owners. There are now more than 20 such Herenboerderijen in the Netherlands. For my second year, I’m transferring to Herenboerderijen De Vlinderstrik in Rotterdam. I will also do some shorter ‘side internships’ at, among others, a CSA (community supported agriculture) start-up. Maybe in the future I can start working as a Herenboer myself. I also want to join local community farming initiatives. I think it’s important to contribute to short-chain farming. And it’s inspiring to realise something in that field in collaboration with others.”

Warmonderhof has monthly open days. Are you interested in the possibilities for you at our school? Please take a look in our agenda for the next open day.