Fruittuin van West

Fruittuin van West is a 16 hectares fruit orchard located on three island near Amsterdam. Here chickens, pigs and ducks can roam freely and feast upon the fallen fruits.

How everything started

Wil established Fruittuin Van West because he was keen on starting a sustainable farm near his beloved Amsterdam – with the wish in mind to remain connected to its vibrant cultural life.

But acquiring land is often a challenge for individual users like Wil, given that the agricultural land market is quite competitive and inaccessible in a small country like the Netherlands. With great determination, Wil applied for support at multiple City Councils by proposing a structured plan. Four out of five councils were willing to support Wil’s endeavours.

He and his family successfully established a farm shop that offers top-quality products that are produced on Fruittuin Van West and other farms in the region. Through this, they support the development of regional market networks, offering a vast selection of product to their costumers.

Visitors can pick tasty fruits directly from the trees and get closer to the sources of food and learn more about the production, the post-harvesting and marketing processes it!

As a future project Wil and his family have the goal of improving the water quality around the farm. They wish to develop a water circulation system which can oxygenate stagnant water and distribute the water efficiently across the orchard. The system will be fueled through regenerative energy from a windmill. It would contribute to revitalizing “dead” water and making it suitable for farming and recreation.

How do they contribute to a better climate?