Regional Material Availability

Dutch Soil Types

The Netherlands has various soil types suitable for plaster production:

Soil Type Distribution:

• Loam - Balanced mixture of sand, silt and clay
• Clay - Optimal binding properties
• Sand - Needed for compressive strenght
• Peat - Decayed plant matter

Source: Schreefel et al, 2022

Regional Optimization

Regional variations enable locally optimized formulations based on:

• Available soil types
• Local dairy herds
• Transport distances
• Climatic conditions

Material Sourcing Strategy

• Clay - Find closest escavation site or dig around 50 cm in the ground close to a river or costal area
• Soil Quality - Best results are achieved with very clay-rich soils
• Cow Manure - Conventional manure smells stronger than biodynamic manure and might contain more grains than fibers. Both types are suitable and achieve good results.
• Sand - Local sand can be sourced from rivers or sand rich soils. When working with local sand, it is important to remove silt before mixing. In larger projects it is recommended to buy already sieved sand.

Provincial Material Mapping

High Potential Regions

North Brabant & Gelderland:

• High dairy cow density (208,000+ and 233,000+ respectively)
• Large grassland areas
• Established agricultural infrastructure
• Good transport connections

Friesland:

• Highest dairy cow density (298,000)
• Strong dairy farming tradition
• Extensive grassland (1,699 km²)
• High outdoor grazing percentage (83%)

Material Supply Chain Considerations

Transport Distance Optimization

• Local sourcing radius: Ideal within 50km
• Regional hubs: Central processing in high-density areas
• Seasonal availability: Fresh vs. stored manual considerations

Quality Variations

• Seasonal differences: Summer vs. winter manure quality
• Feed-based variations: Grass-fed vs. silage-fed cattle
• Age considerations: Fresh vs. aged manure properties

Logistical Infrastructure

• Existing networks: Leverage current agricultural logistics
• Storage facilities: Intermediate storage requirements
• Processing locations: Centralized vs. distributed approach