“At home, we have an organic dairy sheep farm. A neighbouring farmer tipped me off about Warmonderhof. When I first came here, I thought it was very anthroposophical. But I’ve changed my mind since then. The education we get here, and the people you meet and work with, broaden your outlook on the world.”

“In my final paper, I’m going to investigate the potential of adding a vegetable-growing branch to my company.”

Wijtze Kuiken (21) is a fourth-year student at Warmonderhof at the time of this interview. He is doing the biodynamic farm manager course.

“Warmonderhof enabled me to start forming my own vision of the world. You have to have the guts to do that, take a good look at yourself and think: how much of this is really me and how much is down to my parents? What do I want to do differently? And then you have to dare to make adjustments.

At Warmonderhof you discover what farming really is

When I first moved here, I was homesick. I went home every weekend, but soon Warmonderhof became my new home. Here you discover what farming is really like, that you also have to help out in the weekends when rain is in the air, and the crops have to be harvested. And you’re expected to do that. You’ve got to be aware of that. In the beginning I found it quite tough. But once I was in the third year, I never wanted to leave.

I want to take over the dairy farm

My favourite branch of agriculture is arable farming. I want to take over my parents’ dairy sheep farm at some point. Currently there are 130 in milk and about 50 head of young stock. There’s also a cheese factory and some forage farming. My parents really encourage me to do my own thing. I get a lot of support from them. I want to run the farm together with my girlfriend, who also graduated from Warmonderhof. We want to make the business more mixed, and more self-sufficient, with local customers. I also want to add some coarse vegetable farming. We would then keep fewer sheep, and we would raise the lambs ourselves.

You can map out your dream business at this school

In my final paper, which I’m going to write for my graduation project, I will do research and elaborate on my future plans. That’s what’s so good here: you can map out your dream business and gradually find out what you would like to do later. The school provides all the know-how you need. You have to dare to dream. The more you believe in it yourself, the more your environment will too, and the greater the chance that you can make your dream a reality!”

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.