Applied Research for Sustainable Dairy Farming

In 1970 the Research Station for Cattle, Sheep and Horse Husbandry (PR) was founded and later located in Lelystad. The experimental farm the Waiboerhoeve was built 10 years earlier in Millingen aan de Rijn in the East of the Netherlands. In 1971 the Waiboerhoeve was rebuild in Lelystad as the experimental farm of the PR. This year we celebrate the 25th anniversaty of the Research Station and the 35th anniversaty of the Waiboerhoeve. In this context the symposium for sustainable agriculture is organized. This initiative is meant to discuss sustainability in dairy husbandry with farmers and researchers of Europe. This is an important issue in Western Europe. PR and Waiboerhoeve are one organization together with the five regional experimental farms for applied research. Financial deficits are paid on a 50/50 basis by the Ministry of Agriculture, and the farmers organizations (Landbouwschap). The contribution by the farmers quarantees that the experiments have a practica1 use. This symposium presents results of applied research. The symposium was organized by a committee of PR employees