Email:
info@nuffield.nl
Djke Smith van der Maat is a 4th generation farmer growing apples, pears, plumbs, cherries and she is the first Dutch kiwi fruit grower. The farm also includes a farm shop, education, forestry, a maize maze, a horse livery and beef cattle.
A few years after graduating at Wageningen University, Djke started her trading company, buying high quality fruit from selected growers. She stimulates farmers in growing their fruit in an integrated way and sells it under a certification scheme to retail and food services.
Farming in a densely populated area (10 million people within a 60 km radius), Djke is highly interested in farmer-consumer relations. She is involved in several initiatives stimulating local produce, local farmers cooperating and and she is board member of the Dutch Young Multi-Functional Farmers Organisation Djke was recognised as being top three agricultural entrepreneur of The Netherlands and received the European Innovation Prize for Women Farmers. Being awarded with a Nuffield Scholarship in 2011 herself, Djke is now Director of Nuffield Netherlands.
