What Aeres Farms does

Aeres Farms is a non-profit practical agricultural training facility operated by Stichting Aeres Groep, located within cycling distance of Aeres Hogeschool in Dronten, Netherlands. It spans approximately 340 hectares and integrates conventional and organic farming across dairy (Flevolandstal with 140 cows and smart-farming equipment; Weidebedrijf organic dairy with 70 cows), arable production (220 hectares with 2,500-tonne potato and 1,000-tonne onion storage), pigs (32 sows, ~280 fatteners under the Polder-Porque student company), poultry (1,000 laying hens with Beter Leven 3-star certification), sheep (40 Swifter ewes registered with the Swifter Sheep Studbook), horses (40-box livery stable under Paardencentrum Dronten), and a Zuivelbedrijf dairy processing plant (milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, butter, ice cream, Poldercaatje advocaat). The facility combines conventional and biodynamic operations including LONK (18-hectare biodynamic arable farm in Nagele) and LOT (2,000 m² organic horticulture plot) operated by Aeres MBO Warmonderhof students.

The primary customer base is internal: HBO students from Aeres Hogeschool Dronten, MBO students from Aeres MBO Dronten and Emmeloord, and biodynamic/organic students from Aeres Warmonderhof, who run farm operations for an academic year under coaching and complete the Proeve van Bekwaamheid competency test. A secondary customer segment is industry partners, including DeLaval (multi-year smart-farming technology collaborator that also trains its own staff on-site), companies commissioning applied research via the Agri Innovation Centre, and participants in the Praktijkcluster AGRO multi-stakeholder innovation cluster. Distribution of farm outputs is largely intra-institutional (Aeres Hogeschool and MBO restaurants), supplemented by an egg vending machine and modest e-commerce via Polder-Porque. Revenue is generated primarily through Dutch government educational funding flowing via the parent foundation, plus farm-gate and processed product sales.

The business model is educational and mission-driven rather than commercial, with no public pricing and no external funding rounds. Technology stack centers on DeLaval's automatic milking system with Herd Navigator analytics (somatic cell count, body condition scoring, fertility, ketosis, udder health, urea), drone and sensor-based crop experimentation at the OnderwijsLeerKavel plot, and certification scaffolding (SKAL organic, Beter Leven 3-star, GDPR/AVG compliance). The Agri Innovation Centre functions as the hub connecting students, docent-researchers, and industry; it is also the venue for DeLaval-run training. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the model is characterized as government-funded with supplemental farm-product revenue.

Name

Aeres Farms

Legal name

Stichting Aeres Groep

Website

https://aeresfarms.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aeres Farms is a 340-hectage non-profit practical training facility in Dronten, Netherlands, operated by Stichting Aeres Groep. It provides hands-on agricultural education across dairy, arable, pig, poultry, sheep, and horse operations for students of Aeres Hogeschool, Aeres MBO, and Aeres Warmonderhof.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education Services

NAICS

Hog and Pig Farming (11221), Poultry and Egg Production (1123), Oilseed and Grain Combination Farming (111191), Sheep Farming (112410)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Farm Technology Enablement & Data Integration Advisory (FMIS/ERP, IoT, Decision Support) (AFACAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Livestock & Herd/Flock Operations Management Advisory (Nutrition, Housing, Performance) (AFACAJAL), Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)

Keywords

• Agricultural education
• Dairy farming
• Arable farming
• Farm training facilities
• Organic livestock production

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aeres Farms is a 340-hectare practical training facility combining conventional and organic farming operations — dairy cattle, arable, pig, poultry, sheep, and horse husbandry — designed to give students of Aeres Hogeschool, Aeres MBO, and Aeres Warmonderhof hands-on operational responsibility for real farm businesses. The facility includes specialized units such as the Flevolandstal smart-farming dairy barn, Zuivelbedrijf dairy processing plant, and Agri Innovation Centre for applied research with industry partners. Products from the farm (milk, eggs, pork, cheese, vegetables) are sold primarily within the Aeres institutional ecosystem.

Product overview

Aeres Farms is a unified portfolio of agricultural training and learning facilities spanning approximately 340 hectares near Aeres Hogeschool in Dronten, Netherlands. The offering consists of multiple distinct farm operations that collectively serve as a hands-on educational environment for students across the Aeres educational institutions. Core facilities include the Agri Innovation Centre (agricultural technology hub), the Akkerbouwbedrijf (220 ha arable farm), Varkensbedrijf (pig farm with 32 sows), Pluimveebedrijf (1,000-hen poultry operation with Beter Leven certification), Weidebedrijf (organic dairy with 70 cows), Flevolandstal (140-cow research dairy with smart farming focus), Paardenplaats (40-stall horse boarding), Biologische landbouw (organic farming with LONK/LOT student programs), Zuivelbedrijf (dairy processing producing milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream), and Schapenbedrijf (40-ewe sheep farm). Studentbedrijven programs enable students to run individual farm operations for a year. The portfolio is designed to provide practical, industry-aligned training in the agro-food sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Polder-Porque: The first student-learning company in the Netherlands that markets its own pork products online under the Aeres Hogeschool Dronten brand.
• Poldercaatje
• LONK (Leren Ondernemen op Nageler Kavel)
• LOT (Leren Ondernemen Tuinbouw)
• Agri Innovation Centre (AIC)

Products and services

• Agri Innovation Centre (AIC) A practice-oriented agri-technological environment where education, research, and business meet and reinforce each other; offers space for students to experiment and conduct applied research in close collaboration with industry.
• Akkerbouwbedrijf (Arable Farming) Arable farming operation covering 220 hectares with both conventional and organic production, including storage facilities for 2,500 tons of potatoes and 1,000 tons of onions.
• Varkensbedrijf (Pig Farm) A closed pig farm with 32 sows and approximately 280 fattening pigs, run by students under the guidance of a coach.
• Pluimveebedrijf (Poultry Farm) A poultry barn with 1,000 laying hens certified with the Beter Leven Keurmerk 3 sterren (Better Life Label), divided into 4 compartments for student research.
• Weidebedrijf (Pasture Farm) An organic dairy farm focused on maximum pasture access and milk from grazed grass, with 45 hectares of grass-clover land and 70 milking cows.
• Flevolandstal A dairy barn housing 140 dairy cows with focus on feed research and smart farming, featuring both a 2x8 herringbone milking parlor and a milking robot.
• Paardenplaats (Horse Stable) A boarding stable for Aeres Hogeschool Dronten offering 40 boxes, pastures, outdoor arenas, and lunging circle for student use and education.
• Biologische landbouw (Organic Farming) Organic farming operations including LONK (Leren Ondernemen op Nageler Kavel) with 18 hectares for biodynamic arable farming across 6 parcels, and LOT (Leren Ondernemen Tuinbouw) with 2,000 m² for market-garden horticulture.
• Zuivelbedrijf (Dairy Processing) A dairy processing facility producing milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, butter, and ice cream in various flavors, established in spring 2020.
• Polder-Porque Student-run learning company that markets its own pork products online under the Aeres Hogeschool Dronten banner; manages the entire sales process from production to consumer delivery.
• Schapenbedrijf (Sheep Farm) A sheep farm with 40 Swifter ewes, recently affiliated with the Swifter sheep studbook, with the goal of developing a quality breeding stock.
• Studentenbedrijven (Student Businesses) Student-run businesses where students live on Aeres Farms and take responsibility for various farm operations for one year under coaching, including pig farming, poultry, sheep, and horse boarding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Aeres Farms spans 340 hectares with both conventional and organic operations across multiple farming sectors
• +6 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• DeLavalcoreTechnology or IntegrationDeLaval has collaborated with Aeres Farms for approximately five years, providing automatic milking systems and technical training. The company installed an automatic milking system in one of the barns where students and other users receive guidance on data processing. DeLaval also organizes multiple training courses for their own employees at Aeres Farms. In the past year, they invested in a new milking robot equipped with an accurate somatic cell count meter, Body Condition Score camera, and Herd Navigator system providing fertility, ketosis, udder health, and urea measurements. DeLaval sees opportunities for better utilization of sensor data in various projects and daily farm management.
• Praktijkcluster AGROflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAeres Farms serves as a meetingpoint for Praktijkcluster AGRO (Agro Practice Cluster), a collaborative initiative that brings together green vocational and higher education (students, teachers) with entrepreneurs, employees, researchers, policymakers, industry organizations, and sometimes the general public. Together they work and learn on innovations in the agricultural sector.
• Paardencentrum DrontencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaardencentrum Dronten provides supervision and guidance for the Paardenplaats (horse stable), which operates as a livery stable for and by students. Students can use the 40 boxes, pastures, outdoor arenas, and lungeing circle, as well as facilities at Paardencentrum Dronten itself.
• Aeres MBO Dronten WarmonderhofflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAeres Warmonderhof is the organic agriculture department of Aeres MBO Dronten. Second and third-year students from Warmonderhof operate a small-scale organic horticulture enterprise (0.2 ha) and manage the LONK biodynamic arable farm (18 ha) in Nagele. The LONK project enables third-year students to run a biodynamic farm for one season, making all decisions from sowing to harvesting, marketing, and accounting. First-year students also do practical work with the third-year students, gaining leadership experience.
• Swifter Schapenstamboek (Swifter Sheep Registry)minorOthersThe sheep business at Aeres Farms recently joined the Swifter Sheep Registry. The farm keeps 40 Swifter ewes and over the coming years will work to develop a quality breeding flock, potentially participating in shows and sales of breeding lambs in the future.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Delphy: Largest Dutch agricultural advisory firm providing crop, horticulture, and livestock advisory services to commercial farms. Comparable in operating at the intersection of Dutch agricultural practice and applied research/training, but as a commercial consultancy rather than educational facility.
• DLV Advies: Dutch agricultural advisory firm serving livestock, arable, and dairy producers with consulting and applied research. Comparable in the Dutch applied agricultural knowledge ecosystem and likely overlap with Praktijkcluster AGRO partner network.

Direct peers

• Scotland's Rural College (SRUC): UK institution combining agricultural education, applied research, and consultancy with multiple operating farms across Scotland. Closest international peer combining academic agricultural programs with operating farm businesses used for student training and commercial activity.
• Nordwin College: Dutch agricultural MBO (vocational education) provider in the northern Netherlands with practical training farms. Directly competes with Aeres MBO for vocational agricultural students and operates comparable on-site farm learning facilities.
• Wageningen University & Research: Dutch agricultural research and higher education institution operating multiple experimental farms (Dairy Campus, experimental arable holdings) for applied research and student training. Closest structural comparable combining research-grade agricultural operations with educational mission in the Netherlands.
• HAS Green Academy: Dutch higher education institution focused on agriculture, food, and environment with strong practical learning orientation. Competes with Aeres Hogeschool for the same Dutch HBO student population in agro-food programs.
• Royal Agricultural University: UK agricultural university with on-site teaching farms (including dairy, arable, and livestock operations) and an emphasis on practical enterprise management. Comparable in combining higher agricultural education with operating farm businesses used as teaching vehicles.
• Dairy Campus Leeuwarden: Wageningen UR-operated dairy research, innovation, and education facility in Friesland with operating dairy herds. Highly comparable operating model (research + education + commercial dairy production) and direct overlap with Aeres' Flevolandstal and Weidebedrijf dairy facilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aeres-farms

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aeres Farms