Last month, the Risseeuw family's organic vegetable and arable farm in Schoondijke, Netherlands, hosted the official opening of 17 new water reservoirs in West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Most of these reservoirs were built on arable farms, but fruit growers also joined the initiative, including Bob Thomaes in Hoofdplaat and Niek Rijnberg in Zuidzande.
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"West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen has always been a very dry region, even drier than other parts of Zeeland," explains John Bal, advisor at Arvalis, who guided the project. "This created increasingly urgent situations, especially for arable farming. That's why the ZLTO branch Agrarisch West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen took the initiative to develop these reservoirs. There are very few alternatives for securing fresh water in this area, so fruit growers also got involved. We already work closely with the Dutch Fruit Growers' Organization (NFO) on many fronts to improve freshwater availability in Zeeland."
The reservoirs, each holding between 30,000 and 50,000 cubic meters, are filled with rainwater and, during the winter months, with fresh water from ditches. Farmers received 40 percent European funding to help realize the project. "We submitted a joint subsidy application, which was successful. Thanks to these reservoirs, the freshwater supply for the farms is now much more secure."
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The official opening was carried out by Marga Vermue, mayor of the municipality of Sluis, together with Zeeland's provincial deputy for agriculture, Arno Vael. Adding a special touch to the ceremony, seven-year-old Thijs Risseeuw, son of the hosting family, proudly helped with the opening act.
For more information:
Netherlands Fruit Growers Organization 
Louis Pasteurlaan 6
2719 EE Zoetermeer
079 3681300
[email protected]
www.nfofruit.nl
