For Albertine Ekkels, farming is about more than food production, it’s about connection. At 34, she runs a mixed farm in the northern Netherlands alongside her husband and two other partners. Together, they care for 70 cows and almost 700 sheep, selling products such as meat, milk, and cheese directly from their small farm shop. But the farm is not just a food place, it’s a destination. “It’s a place for tourists”, she explains, “where people can come, see what we do and enjoy nature”.
This belief in the power of the countryside to inspire and connect people has led Albertine to her newest project: an online platform where people can book meeting spaces on farms. “There are a lot of beautiful, unused spaces on farms across the Netherlands”, she says. “I want to make them visible and bookable — for business meetings, training sessions, or simply for people to spend time in nature”.
The idea came to her after many years of contemplating a personal project. “Last year, everything came together”, she recalls. She shared the idea with her mentor from the GRASS CEILING project, and this year she was nominated as one of the talents in the “Young Farmer Talent 2025” competition. “That was the moment I decided: yes, I’m going to do this”.
The platform’s goal extends far beyond bookings. For Albertine, it’s about helping people reconnect with the land. “I want people to come to the farm and feel what it’s like. To learn, to feel the nature, the animals — everything”. She dreams of a world where people from cities and rural areas alike have easy access to farm life, not just as spectators, but as participants.
Currently, Albertine is working on developing the website, contacting other farmers to gauge interest in listing their spaces, and promoting the idea to potential visitors. “This year is a big one”, she says with excitement. “It will either go well… or not. But we have to try”.
Her initiative is grounded in a deep desire to open the doors of the countryside and create a bridge between rural and urban communities. As she puts it: “I dream that people see what we do on the farm, and like what we do”.