Herman (46) and Wilma (44) own a mixed livestock farm, producing veal and layer breeders, situated just above Apeldoorn, close to the A50 motorway. It’s a unique family business which includes children Mirthe (22), Jorik (20) and Lauren (18), and foster kids Liam (9) and Jahnoah (5), who both need extra care and attention. ‘Mirthe is married now, so she doesn’t live at home anymore. Even so, a large family like ours can be intense,’ says Herman Keurhorst. ‘But we wouldn’t want it any other way. We have big hearts and a big house, so we have the space for it. As Christians, we believe that we should help other children as well as our own.’
Nevertheless, the Keurhorst family are able to juggle a busy family life and a large business. This is partially because all the family members pitch in during the peak periods of the all-in, all-out system for the calves and Wilma helps out a lot on the farm. ‘It’s a case of staying one step ahead, careful planning and putting structures in place. In addition, we’ve automated our barns as much as possible. For example, we have an automatic milk and roughage system for the calves. It saves us a lot of time.’
This structured approach means that Keurhorst can run the company by himself for the most part. He has no permanent employees. Keurhorst does hire one employee with whom he has worked for many years now—but only on an as-needed basis. There is also someone who tends to the chickens on Saturdays. Keurhorst makes sure that everyone is clear on what is expected of them. ‘With good agreements and careful planning, you can make enough time for your private life, which I find extremely important. There needs to be a good balance. It gives me energy.’
I want to show people what we’re doing. People often come in with certain negative assumptions, but they almost always leave feeling pleasantly surprised. It’s the cleanliness and welfare, in particular, that they respond to
HERMAN KEURHORST
Third generation on the farm
Herman Keurhorst is the third generation at the helm of this farm in Beemte Broekland, which has been a mixed company from day one. ‘When my grandpa set up the business here, he kept cows, pigs and chickens. He was a forward-thinker and built an ultra-modern poultry barn in 1970, which was very large for the time. In 1992, my father switched from dairy cows to calves. However, he kept it a mixed livestock farm, with the poultry and calves growing into two strong branches, so we haven’t made any changes since then.’
The calves are housed in three barns built on the land in 1994, 2006 and 2012. Each one of them looks to be in tip-top condition and the land is just as well maintained. Not that we’d expect anything less from Keurhorst, who is an entrepreneur with a laser focus on cleanliness and hygiene. ‘When you get in the habit of keeping your company up to date and clean, it becomes part of your system and allows you to work more efficiently. I believe that all the conditions for good hygiene need to be right. It’s how you can prevent illnesses, reduce feed waste and guarantee that you can produce a quality, honest piece of veal. Then you know your image is one of integrity.’
Keurhorst finds it important to maintain a good image. He regularly welcomes local residents, schools, colleagues and board members to his company. Transparency is a keyword for him. ‘I want to show people what we’re doing. People often come in with certain negative assumptions, but they almost always leave feeling pleasantly surprised. It’s the cleanliness and welfare, in particular, that they respond to.
Loyalty and life-long learning
Keurhorst is characterised by his peaceful and loyal nature. He has many long-term contacts with suppliers and customers, including the VanDrie Group. ‘I value personal contact and the ability to bounce ideas off someone,’ says Keurhorst. ‘You need to keep each other on your toes but, as long as the trust is there, you are ultimately rooting for each other and you’re able to maintain a relationship in the long term.’
Keurhorst enjoys being part of a chain, as he is someone who values connection, gaining new knowledge and working with others to move forward. For this reason, governance especially appeals to him. He was a board member of LTO vleeskalverhouderij and Stichting Kwaliteitsgarantie Vleeskalversector (SKV) for eleven years. Keurhorst closed this chapter when his term ended, but he still works for Stichting Mestverwerking Gelderland. ‘Being involved in governance is important’ says Keurhorst. ‘You’re representing the members and at the same time, you’re learning, so it allows you to keep developing yourself and expand your network. I also find it important to take time to reflect and see what I can improve on.’
Innovation is part of this philosophy. Keurhorst has plans for the construction of a new, innovative veal barn for 700 calves. The innovative part of it is that urine and solid manure are separated, reducing emissions in the barn. To achieve this, Keurhorst has requested a subsidy from the province of Gelderland. ‘It would be a fantastic new step,’ he says. ‘And it’s innovation rather than growth because we’re not adding any more calves. The new barn will replace the two oldest barns on the land. We don’t need to expand. The current size is just right for our family business.’
