Excursions​​​

To enjoy and learn about several conference related activities in the surroundings of Wageningen, six different excursions will be organized on Friday 22th of November, 2024. You can register for the excursions via the registration form. If you already registered for the conference, you can add the excursion to your existing registration. You can see the prices for the excursions in the descriptions below or on the registration page. All prices have a discount for students and low-income country participants. Please note: there is a maximum capacity per excursion.

All excursions start at 09:00. For those staying outside Wageningen, we will arrange for you to be picked up by the shuttle bus to arrive at 08:45 at the WICC, where you will be welcomed with coffee/tea and a Dutch treat. From 09:00 onwards, excursion programs will vary.

Of the six excursions, two last a full day and the other four are held in the morning as half day excursions. All excursions include lunch. For participants of the full day excursions, we offer the opportunity to dine at a typical Dutch pancake restaurant: de Panoramahoeve. For this, we will arrange a group reservation and transportation. However, please note that the dinner itself is at your own expense.

For excursions 1, 2 and 5, we recommend that you bring suitable clothing and footwear, as extensive outdoor activities and field visits take place during the day. In addition, the weather in the Dutch November month is usually cold, wet and windy. Although climate change has made the weather even more unpredictable, you can expect the average maximum temperature to be 10 degrees Celsius. Of course, we will keep you informed of the weather forecast in the days leading up to the conference. Below you will find an overview of the program per excursion.

Descriptions

Excursion 1 - The local grain value chain (Full day, max 30 pax)

Are you looking forward to a multi-destination excursion where you will learn the ins and outs of an innovative local agroecological grain value chain? Then join this excursion. Kick off the day with an introduction about the construction of a regional agro-ecological food network at the WICC by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality. Afterwards, you will visit an agroecological grain field as part of the Graangeluk, Happy Grain, initiative. You will discover how the reintroduction of old landraces in historic forest fields contributes to the revitalization of its soil and biodiversity, and how citizens organize innovative finance mechanisms for buying land. Later, you will visit a local artisanal baker, Jorisbrood, where lunch will be provided including bread made from these grains. You will finish the excursion with a visit to the working windmill of Wageningen followed by a tour and tasting session at the city's artisanal brewery, Stadsbrouwerij Wageningen. After this excursion you will know all about the innovative grain value chain that provides the region with locally produced bread and beer.

We recommend you end the day with a typical pancake dinner at the Panoramahoeve in Bennekom.

Price: 95 EUR (regular)/ 75 EUR (discounted)

Program

08:45: Gather at WICC

09:00: Presentation by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality: “Building a regional agro-ecological food network”

09:45: Depart to Wekeromse grain field

10:15: Presentation and tour of the Graangeluk, Happy Grain, initiative

12:30: Lunch at Jorisbrood

13:30: Depart to the Wageningen windmill

14:00: Visit of the Wageningen windmill

15:00: A 15 minutes walk to Stadsbrouwerij Wageningen for a tour and beer-tasting

16:45: Walk back to WICC

17:00: End of the excursion

Recommendation to end your day with a pancake dinner at Panoramahoeve

Excursion 2 - Restoring the traditional landscape and local culture (Full day, max 45 pax)

Excursion 2 starts with a single morning program and splits into two groups for the afternoon program. You can choose between program 2a (max 20 pax), a visit to a market garden, and program 2b (max 25 pax), a cheese making workshop.

The morning program starts with an introduction about the construction of a regional agro-ecological food network at the WICC by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality. Afterwards, you leave for a visit to the Binnenveld nature reserve, which is reverting back to how it looked a century ago. Here the old flower-rich hay meadows are being re-created and new nature is developing. Following this, you can listen to the story of how a biodynamic family-run dairy farm cares for their soil and cows, and how they set up a land cooperative of citizens. At the Hooilanden farm you will learn why and how they had to overhaul their practices after the policy measures resulting from the Dutch national nitrogen crisis.

Price: 95 EUR (regular)/ 75 EUR (discounted)

Morning program

08:45: Gather at WICC

09:00: Presentation by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality: “Building a regional agro-ecological food network”

09:45: Depart to de Binnenveld nature reserve

10:00: Visit the Binnenveld nature reserve

11:30: Departure to the Hooilanden dairy farm for a tour and lunch

13:00: Lunch at de Hooilanden farm

Afternoon 2a - Visit a market garden (max 20 pax)

After a typical local lunch at de Hooilanden farm, the tour continues with a visit to an agroecological "no-dig" market garden collaboration, Lichtveen. You will learn about the principles and concepts behind this initiative and have the opportunity to ask all your questions.

We recommend you end your day with a typical pancake dinner at the Panoramahoeve in Bennekom.

Afternoon program

14:00: continue Hooilanden tour 14:30: Visit the Lichtveen market garden 16:00: Coffee/tea at de Hooilanden farm 16:30: Driving back to WICC 17:00: End of the excursion Recommendation to end your day with a pancake dinner at Panoramahoeve

Afternoon 2b - Take part in a cheese making workshop (max 25 pax)

After a typical local lunch at de Hooilanden farm, the excursion continues with a visit to kasteel boerderij Hoekelum where you can learn the artisanal art of cheese making in the idyllic surroundings of this old cheese farm. After an educational and especially enjoyable morning, you can take your cheese and complete every dish you desire with your artisanal art.

We recommend you end your day with a typical pancake dinner at the Panoramahoeve in Bennekom.

Afternoon program

14:00: Departure to kasteel boerderij Hoekelum

14:15: Cheese making workshop

16:45: Departure to WICC

17:00: End of the excursion

Recommendation to end your day with a pancake dinner at Panoramahoeve

Excursion 3 - Fermentation workshop (Half day, max 20 pax)

If you are looking to produce and make something yourself, this may be the workshop for you. Start the day off with an introduction about the construction of a regional agro-ecological food network at the WICC by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality. Afterwards you will get a hands-on experience of the ancient technique to preserve food, fermentation. Add beautiful flavors to your vegetables and crucially: keep your gut healthy! Chef Giel Dons is one of the region’s experts in fermentation and started his business with know-how and financial support of Wageningen University & Research. You will leave this workshop with your own jar of yummy kimchi, a perfect condiment to any meal. After this enriching workshop you can enjoy a lovely lunch with local products that includes a taste of other fermented products.

Price: 70 EUR (regular)/ 50 EUR (discounted)

Program

08:45: Gather at WICC

09:00: Presentation by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality: “Building a regional agro-ecological food network”

09:45: A walk to the fermentation workshop

10:00: Fermentation workshop

12:30: On-site lunch

14:00: Walking back to WICC and end of excursion

Excursion 4 - Cheese making workshop (Half day, max 48 pax)

Have you always wondered how to make your own delicious pieces of cheese the Dutch way? Then this half day excursion offers the workshop for you. Start your day with an introduction about the construction of a regional agro-ecological food network at the WICC by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality. Afterwards you will leave for the idyllic surroundings of the old cheese farm Hoekelum, where you will be taught the skill of cheese making under professional guidance. After an educational and especially enjoyable morning, you can take your cheese and complete every dish you desire with your artisanal art. After this workshop you can stay to enjoy a typical "boerenlunch" in the farm.

Price: 70 EUR (regular)/ 50 EUR (discounted)

Program

08:45: Gather at WICC

09:00: Presentation by Janneke Bruil, food policy advisor at Wageningen Municipality: “Building a regional agro-ecological food network”

09:45: Depart to kasteel boerderij Hoekelum

10:00: Cheese making workshop

12:15: Lunch at Hoekelum

13:45: Depart to WICC

14:00: End of the excursion

Excursion 5 - Room for the River: nature restoration project De Blauwe Kamer (Half day, max 45 pax)

In the Netherlands, a country where water from the sea and rivers forms a constant threat, Room for the River is a program launched by the Dutch government to reduce the risk of flooding. The Blauwe Kamer is a beautiful example of how rivers are given space to flood. In the nature reserve where the Nederijn has free rein, nature is constantly in motion. Join this guided excursion of two hours in the Blauwe Kamer and discover how the area was created through river dynamics, and which special animals and plants it is home to. Lunch is a small excursion in itself, because for this you take the ferry to cross the river to the restored old Veerhuis, Ferry house.

Price: 70 EUR (regular)/ 50 EUR (discounted)

Program

08:45: Gather at WICC

09:00: Depart to de Blauwe Kamer nature reserve

09:15: Arrival and explanation, including a movie, coffee and tea in the visitor center

10:00: Guided tour through the Blauwe Kamer nature reserve

12:00: Take the ferry for lunch at de Veerhuis

14:00: Take the ferry back and return to WICC

14:30: End of the excursion

Excursion 6 - Wageningen University Campus tour: the most sustainable university world wide (Half day, max 50 pax)

Take the tour at Wageningen University & Research and discover why this university has been named the most sustainable university in the world by GreenMetric for seven years now. The Campus Tour gives you a good impression of Wageningen University & Research, its origin and Campus as well as what it is like to work and study in Wageningen. The tour also provides you information about the different facilities, businesses, special places and art at our campus. There is plenty to experience at WUR!

Price: 50 EUR (regular)/ 40 EUR (discounted)

Program

08:45: Gather at WICC - including coffee and tea

09:00: Depart to Wageningen University & Research including short campus tour

09:30-12:45: Various activities on campus - including welcome by Earth Systems and Global Change Group, a visit World Soil Museum and a visit Modutech lab (water purification by wetlands)

12:45-13:45: Lunch

13:45: Return to WICC

14:00: End of the excursion