About

About me

Hi! I am Will van Twuijver, a designer and farmer working on regenerative design processes. This means that my work is informed by an overarching goal to design and develop systems that integrate environmental restoration and human wellbeing. In practice, my work is focused on the intersection of agroecological food production and grassroots-initiatives.

Focusing on this intersection allows me to explore alternative forms of food production and distribution that are based on solidarity principles, return to a human scale and increase awareness of the natural processes that form the basis of our food system. I have several years of involvement in grassroots initiatives that explore such alternatives, including projects that involve Community Supported Agriculture, waste food processing collectives and home-brewing.

In 2012 I graduated with a bachelor’s in interior architecture at Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, followed by a master’s in Collaborative & Industrial Design at the Aalto University, Finland in 2019. To further deepen my understanding of regenerative design, I completed multiple courses on the topic. Such as a minor study on Sustainability, a certified permaculture design course and a two-year course in biodynamic agriculture. Currently, I work as a part-time dairy farmer and cheese maker and am active as board member of Toekomstboeren.

Contact

Werkplaats Agroecologie 1 4

  • General information
  • Name
    Werkplaats Agroecologie
  • Year
    2021 – ongoing
  • Partnership
    Toekomstboeren
  • Location
    Netherlands

‘Werkplaats Agroecologie’ (Workshop Agroecology) is a project I co-initiated with Toekomstboeren in order to develop and share practical knowledge amongst farmers. The project focuses on three major themes: development of new types of tools and mechanisation; making ecological principles applicable and empowering people to express their agroecological ideals.

The idea of forming an agroecological workshop originated from the observation by Toekomstboeren that many farmers and (market)gardeners were experimenting with new, sustainable and practical farming practices on a small scale. Such as, no-dig farming, construction your tools or growing seedlings in self created potting mixes. Such methods will become increasingly more important in future agroecological food systems, but have not matured yet. As a result, many experiments in the Netherlands happen under the radar, are often ad-hoc or underfunded. That is why, Toekomstboeren aims to bring experimental actors together and form a hub for practical agroecological knowledge.

Boerenwerkplaatsen

DIY tool building during Boerenwerkplaatsen

Farmers workshops are days, events and/or workshops in which farmers come together to work on a project, such as building a tool, an introduction to a practice (e.g. no-dig, agroforestry etc) or a communal work (e.g. constructing a hedgerow

Excursions

One of the excursions organised by Toekomstboeren

The ‘Werkplaats Agroecologie’ also organises excursions to farms that are developing experimental practices that contribute to food sovereignty. For example, farms that create their own potting mix from scratch or tree-nurseries for agroforestry systems.