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Itinerary

After six long weeks in New York, I set out for the Netherlands today, July 27th. First, I'll be spending a weekend in Amsterdam with my mother (because who wouldn't want to visit Amsterdam with their mother) but the real fun begins on August 1st.

That is when I will be traveling to Hof van Twello (see website), the first farm on which I'll be working. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing yet, but on its 32 acres of land lay an organic farm (which grows "forgotten" vegetables, wild edible plants, flowers, and wine grapes in addition to traditional vegetables, herbs, and fruits), a cafe, a farm shop, an education department (which maintains a barefoot nature trail), and a food processing department. I'll be there for a month, and hopefully will get to engage in an assortment of tasks focusing, of course, on farming.
Though I'll be working five days a week, I'm hoping to take advantage of its central location on the weekends. If I'm not too tired from a week's worth of labor, I plan to see some other parts of the Netherlands, possibly spending a weekend in Utrecht or visiting Wageningen University (the third best Agricultural Economics graduate school in the world).

After August 31st, I have four days to get to the next farm: Natuureiland Gouden Bodem (see website). This farm is very different from Hof van Twello; it is very isolated and doubles as an island nature reserve. With 70 cows plus chickens and goats, the farm is a biodynamic dairy farm but also boasts a plethora of bird species that have made their home on the island. I'll be working as a part of their dairy operation for two weeks and hopefully I'll have the chance to do some exhilarating bird-watching! The farm is on a remote 432 acre island, so I won't be getting out much but I look forward to my two weeks in isolation.

As for my plans beyond farming, I don't quite know yet... I've compiled an ambitious reading list of more than a dozen books from the Western philosophical canon I'm hoping to read and use as a lens for my writing on this blog. Also, I want to contribute a couple articles to my friend's blog Responsible Planet detailing any sustainable agricultural practices I learn about on my journey. 

More than anything however, I'm hoping to live in the moment and enjoy the experience as much as possible. This whole adventure was borne out of me looking at a rotten situation and making the best out of it, so even in the moments that I am caked in manure- I'll be looking on the bright side.

If anyone has any tips for things I should make sure to do while in Amsterdam, places to travel to on the weekends, or books to add to my reading list, shoot me a message!
Location: New York, NY, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownJuly 27, 2017 at 1:58 PM

    Zaanse Schans Is supposed to be really nice (and free if you go by bike or walk)

    ReplyDelete

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