The Blije Bodem (Happy Soil) is a self-picking farm initiative located in the Westpark in Groningen, Netherlands. Their mission is to make Groningen healthier and more beautiful by creating a regenerative self-harvest garden.
The farm cultivates healthy and flavorful vegetables, unsprayed flowers, and fresh herbs, all intended to be affordable and accessible to a broad audience. Participants can harvest their own produce at their convenience, ensuring local and super-fresh ingredients. The Blije Bodem aims to be more than just a vegetable garden, with the goal of creating a green oasis, full of life and open to everyone, offering a place for rest, inspiration, and education for future generations.
The goals of the Blije Bodem include:
- Providing healthy vegetables for everyone, regardless of income.
- Fostering community and connection with nature and food.
- Offering education and research opportunities related to food production and sustainability.
- Restoring biodiversity by creating a healthy ecosystem with native trees, shrubs, and flowers.
The farm operates with the help of volunteers and a gardener, Bas, and relies on community support through donations and subscriptions.
The garden cultivates a wide variety of produce, with 64 different crops and 150 different cultivars in 2024. The vegetables being grown include:
- broad beans,
- pigeon peas,
- snow peas,
- cauliflower,
- spring onions,
- kohlrabi,
- savoy cabbage,
- peppers,
- eggplants,
- spinach and
- carrots.
Subscriptions are sold using a solidarity payment system, where participants contribute based on their financial capacity to ensure access for everyone.
What visitors say
This location is lauded as a delightful spot and a commendable initiative.