Jelle Oenema on organic farming, entrepreneurship, and future prospects

In an agricultural sector that is constantly changing, young farmer Jelle Oenema is looking for ways to make his farm future-proof. At the organic dairy farm where he currently runs a partnership with his parents—and is gradually working toward taking over the business—he strives to combine sustainability, entrepreneurship, and practical feasibility. Not based solely on ideals, but on a central question: how do you build an agricultural system that remains both ecologically and economically strong?

What immediately stands out during the conversation is his open-mindedness and curiosity. Jelle attends field meetings, delves into new forms of agriculture, and actively observes how other farmers work. At the same time, he remains down-to-earth. In his view, sustainability must not only sound good but also fit within a sound business model.

Growing up on a farm

For a long time, becoming a farmer wasn’t an obvious choice for Jelle. He studied business administration and initially thought his brother would take over the farm, but his brother ended up becoming a farmer at a different dairy farm. Still, he continued to help out at home and gradually became more and more involved in the business. It was precisely the combination of freedom, responsibility, and entrepreneurship that began to appeal to him more and more.

“You can do your own thing; you’re working independently.” “That’s what really appealed to me in the end.”

His parents switched to organic farming as early as 1999. Increasing the number of cows was never the primary goal. The decision stemmed primarily from a way of working that was more in tune with nature, the soil, and the scale of the farm. For Jelle, organic farming is now the natural foundation of his operations. Not because it’s always more profitable, but because the entire system is geared toward it.

“Once you start working organically, you don’t just go back.” “Our entire business operation now aligns with how we work.”

You can see that vision reflected on the farm. The cows spend a lot of time outdoors, the farm’s cycle is largely closed-loop, and they consciously work with relatively little automation. For Jelle, organic farming is less about maximizing production and more about efficiently managing what you have.

The Soil as a Starting Point

For Jelle, sustainable agriculture literally starts with the soil. The farm practices crop rotation, maintains herb-rich pastures, and limits the use of external inputs. Because no synthetic fertilizers are used, the nitrogen surplus remains relatively low and minerals are utilized more efficiently. According to him, this is a key difference from more intensive forms of agriculture.

“To get that last few percent of extra yield, you often have to use a huge amount of inputs. That final bit actually becomes less and less efficient.”

At the same time, he understands well why many farmers still aim for maximum production. The pressure on farmland is high, lease prices are rising, and the land ultimately has to generate a return. This creates a constant tension between ecological goals and economic reality.

“You can do wonderful things for biodiversity, but ultimately it has to make economic sense as well.”

Yet he also sees the added value of an agricultural system that leaves room for nature. When he walks through his grasslands, he literally notices the difference.

“I walk through the grass a lot myself, and you just see so much more life. I love that. A plot with biodiversity is much more interesting than just a neat, green pasture.”

For him, that added value lies not only in nature conservation goals or regulations, but also in the quality of the living environment in which he works and lives every day.

Doing Business in Times of Uncertainty

For Jelle, the biggest challenge lies not so much in change itself, but in the lack of clarity. The permitting process has come to a standstill, policy directions change frequently, and many entrepreneurs don’t know what to expect in the long term. As a result, he believes many farmers are in a sort of holding pattern.

“You want to invest and take steps forward, but when there’s no clear policy, doing business just becomes very difficult.”

He sees this, for example, in plans to become more sustainable through the Beter Leven 3-star certification. This requires modifications to the barn and more space per animal, but it is precisely these expansions that get bogged down in the permitting process. According to him, there is a fundamental disconnect here: sustainability is demanded, while the practical space to actually do business remains limited.

He also believes that broader sustainability concepts sometimes remain too abstract. Terms like regenerative agriculture are widely used, but don’t always align well with the daily reality of farming operations.

“For many farmers, it remains a bit of a catch-all term. Translating theory into practice is often difficult.”

He believes this presents a major challenge for science, policy, and education: not just explaining sustainable agriculture theoretically, but above all making it practically applicable on the farm.

Young farmers see things differently

As a young farmer, Jelle sees clear differences between generations. In his view, younger farmers are often more inquisitive, more open to new ideas, and more actively explore other forms of agriculture. He himself constantly seeks to gain knowledge through field trips, newsletters, and conversations with fellow farmers.

“You learn something everywhere you go. You hear something, go check it out, and ultimately always bring ideas back to your own farm.”

At the same time, he immediately qualifies this. Many young farmers haven’t fully taken over the farm yet and therefore don’t yet bear the heavy financial burden of the takeover. Once that burden is in place, the room to experiment automatically shrinks.

“Older farmers sometimes actually have more financial leeway to try things out.”

According to him, the strength of young farmers therefore lies not only in innovation, but above all in energy, curiosity, and a willingness to seek out new insights.

Small steps, big impact

According to Jelle, for farmers who want to become more sustainable, change doesn’t have to be radical right away. In fact, small, practical steps can make a big difference. He cites agricultural nature management, broad crop rotation, herb-rich grassland, and increased clover cultivation as examples of relatively accessible measures that are now being implemented on many conventional farms.

“You can see that many farmers have come to realize that things need to change.”

Climate change is playing an increasingly significant role in this. Dry springs and more extreme weather conditions mean farmers have to look much more closely at their soil and fields. Jelle is actively focusing on this at his own farm as well.

“Back in the day, you just grew grass.” “Now I look much more closely: is a field wet or dry, and which crop suits it best?”

According to him, there is rarely a single perfect solution. Some sustainability measures can actually conflict with other goals. For example, renewing grassland helps combat drought because new grass, clover, and herbs develop deeper roots. At the same time, this goes against the principles of organic matter accumulation in permanent grassland within regenerative agriculture. That makes sustainability, in his view, more complex than is often thought.

Doing Business with Confidence in the Future

Despite all the uncertainties, Jelle looks to the future with optimism. He knows that the company must continue to evolve over the coming decades to remain economically strong, but at the same time, he sees many opportunities—not only within dairy farming itself, but also through diversification and new revenue models—so that in thirty years’ time, there will still be a healthy business for the next generation.

According to him, this is a key part of future-proof agriculture: not just producing more, but above all creating more value around the product.

“If you make sure you have a good story around your product, then you can also add more value.”

One idea remains central to this: sustainability only works when ecology and economy go hand in hand. Change requires ideals, but also entrepreneurship, room to maneuver, and perspective. That’s why his main advice to other young farmers is to stay open to opportunities and new experiences. He himself tries to stay curious and seize opportunities when they arise.

“If something doesn’t cost much and has no negative consequences, you’re better off just saying ‘yes.’ In the end, it always pays off.”

This open approach aligns well with the role of the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Transition. The center serves as a bridge between science and practice, translating research into practical tools, knowledge, and guidance. In this way, young farmers like Jelle receive support in transitioning to an agricultural system that is ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable.