奶牛在鹿特丹尝试“漂浮农场”

Cows Try 'Floating Farm' in Rotterdam

On a recent day, Dutch businesswoman Minke van Wingerden looked on as one of her 32 cows stops at an automated¹ milking station on an unusual farm. The milking station is set up on a raised structure above a waterway in the port of Rotterdam.

Van Wingerden is one of the developers of what is known as the Floating Farm. They are testing whether dairy farming is possible in the center of one of the world’s most industrial areas. Rotterdam is far from the green fields of traditional Dutch farms.

Van Wingerden told The Associated Press the idea for the Floating Farm dates back to 2012.

At that time, she said, her partner Peter was involved in a project in New York City. A powerful storm known as Hurricane Sandy hit the New York area, causing severe flooding. “After two days, there was no fresh food” to be found in stores, she recalled.

“So then we realized ‘why not produce fresh food, healthy food on the water close to the city' and that’s where the idea came up,” she added.

The cows on the Floating Farm can rest on the upper level of the structure or go to a feeding station for a mix of hay and grass.

Milk and waste treatment centers are on the platform’s lower level. That area also has a store and an entrance for visitors. A nearby grassy² area gives the animals a chance to be on dry land.

The top of the structure is used to collect rainwater. Power for the farm comes from panels³ floating nearby. The panels create electricity from sunlight.

Van Wingerden noted⁴, “The amount of arable⁵ land is decreasing and the world population is growing so how can we produce enough healthy food in the future? Seventy percent of the world is water, so why not use the water to produce fresh healthy food near to the consumers?”

The Floating Farm has the latest in dairy technology. It has an automated feeding system, robots that remove the cows’ waste, and self-serve cleaning areas.

There is even a software application program to follow cows. Farmer Albert Boerson uses the app to watch his animals.

The farm already has a device to separate dry cow waste material from liquid waste. The dry part is used as bedding for the cows and the liquid is turned into a fertilizer.

Workers on the floating platform sell some bottles of milk to visitors. The rest is purified⁶ and turned into milk or yogurt. It is sold to people who live nearby.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

automated –? adj. operated by a self-acting machine or self-regulating device

panel–? n. a flat surface where the controls of a vehicle, machine, etc., are located?

arable –? adj. fit for or cultivated by plowing⁷ : suitable for producing crops

consumer – n. a person who buys goods and services

dairy –? n. milk from a cow or other domestic⁸ animal; food such as ice cream, cheese, or yogurt made primarily of or from milk

bottle–? n. a glass or plastic container that has a narrow neck and usually has no handle?

yogurt –? n. a thick soft food that is made of milk soured by the addition of bacteria and that is often flavored and sweetened

1 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

2 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

3 panels   

镶板( panel的名词复数 )； 面； （门、墙等上面的）嵌板； 控制板

参考例句：

• One of the glass panels in the front door was cracked. 前门的一块方玻璃破裂了。
• Make sure the panels are treated with a wood preservative. 确保镶板用木材防腐剂处理过。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 arable   

adj.可耕的，适合种植的

参考例句：

• The terrain changed quickly from arable land to desert.那个地带很快就从耕地变成了沙漠。
• Do you know how much arable land has been desolated?你知道什么每年有多少土地荒漠化吗？

6 purified   

adj.纯净的

参考例句：

• The air in the room was purified. 房间的空气得到了净化。
• Water can be purified by filtration through sand. 水通过沙滤可以变清。

7 plowing   

v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• "There are things more important now than plowing, Sugar. "如今有比耕种更重要的事情要做呀，宝贝儿。 来自飘（部分）
• Since his wife's death, he has been plowing a lonely furrow. 从他妻子死后，他一直过着孤独的生活。 来自辞典例句

8 domestic   

adj.家里的，国内的，本国的；n.家仆，佣人

参考例句：

• This is domestic news.这是国内新闻。
• She does the domestic affairs every day.她每天都忙家务。