Proud to be your farmers!

Once upon a time...

We were five — Andres, Laura, Lisa, Julia, and Milo — a diverse group of gardeners, cooks, bakers, cheesemakers, scientists, and food entrepreneurs from the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Colombia. We met at a small university in Piedmont, Italy, where we spent four inspiring years studying food's origins, taste, and culture. It was there that the idea of starting a farm was born.

In December 2018, we were fortunate enough to take over the vegetable farm from Wout ten Have, the first Stadsgroenteboer.

In 2021, we partnered with the organic farm de Boterbloem and Pluk! in the Lutkemeerpolder, expanding our farm from half a hectare to nearly one hectare. Today, we divide our time between our original plot in the Tuinen van West and our second plot in the Lutkemeerpolder.

Over time, our team has grown and evolved. While the original owners remain connected to the farm, not all are involved in the day-to-day operations anymore. The core team responsible for the daily activities now includes the farmers listed below, as well as interns, mainly from the biodynamic farming school Warmonderhof.

Laura Wüthrich

Lisa Fellmann

Julia Crijnen

Laura grew up in Switzerland and has gained farming experience in a wide range of settings, from tropical permaculture in India, to agroforestry projects in Brazil and Mexico, to high-altitude pastures in the Swiss Alps.

Outside the field, she has worked as a baker and knows just about everything there is to know about crafting the perfect sourdough loaf. When she’s not on the farm, you might spot her scaling a climbing wall or trying out new activities like joining a book club or doing improv theatre.

With a sharp organizational mind and a clear overview of everything growing in the garden, Laura helps keep the farm running smoothly and efficiently.

Originally from Switzerland her farming journey began with a WWOOF experience in New Zealand, a short adventure that sparked a journey into food, soil, and sustainable agriculture.
She got a Master’s in Agroecology at Wageningen University. Since then, she has been exploring how science can best meet practice in the field.

The physical activity on the farm gives her energy, while she also likes the planning and organization behind the scenes.

To distract herself from farming, Lisa sings in a choir, does some Crosscamp moves, and tries to carve out enough time for her family.

Julia loves farming for many reasons: the physical work, the deep connection with the seasons, and the joy of working as part of a team. There's always something new to learn! Her farming journey began on a small farm in Tuscany, and her advice to anyone starting out is simple: find a farm you like, spend time there, and learn from the people who’ve been doing it for a while.
Food is another central part of Julia’s life — not just growing it, but enjoying it too. And when she’s not in the fields, you might find her in her flower garden, soaking in the peace of being outdoors without worrying about slugs eating the salad.
She’s also wonderfully crafty — literally. Whether it’s wearing something she sewed herself or sipping coffee from a handmade ceramic mug, Julia brings creativity into everything she does. Ceramics is her latest passion project.
Right now, she’s still figuring out whether she loves farming or cooking more — or if, actually, the magic lies in combining the two.

Pauline Zeidler

Her research about consumer and farmers' attitudes towards imperfect vegetables during her psychology masters brought her to the Stadsgroenteboer in 2022. After interning with us for one season we decided we couldn't let her go and offered her a spot on the team. Luckily she accepted! You will always find a little sprinkle of soil on her face because she is working so hard in the garden. And if she has started broadforking a vegetable bed she is hard to stop.

Gabi loves being outdoors and working with others — so it’s no surprise she got into farming. It keeps her grounded, connected to her food, and in tune with the environment around her. She would advise anyone to become a farmer: “Just do it!”

Her journey into agriculture began in Colorado, where she grew up. While learning about rural economics, she considered studying in Germany. As luck would have it, someone nearby — who had completed the very program she was curious about — had started a small farm. Gabi reached out and began volunteering. The peace, the wonder, the freedom she felt on that farm marked the beginning of a long love story with farming.

When she’s not in the fields, Gabi enjoys dancing, yoga, Pilates, meditation, hanging out at the beach — and laughing a lot.

Andres Jara

Born in Colombia, trained as a chef in Peru, had his own catering company in Colombia, studied gastronomic sciences in Italy, mastered the technique of Italian butchery in Tuscany.

The farm has inspired him to start Jara and later on Favamole.

He is an ambassador of de Stadsgrenteboer and collaborates with the farm in various ways.