Jan Demmer, Born on September 12, 1958, in Albergen, Overijssel, the Netherlands, I grew up on my parents’ farm. After their early passing, I took over the farm at the age of 18, becoming an independent farmer at a young age.

With a deep-rooted passion for nature, I have always felt a strong connection to the land. In 1982, I married Carin, who has dedicated her career to nursing. In August 1987, we emigrated to Denmark with our children. The following year, I pursued further education in arable farming and agricultural economics at Ribe Kjærgård Agricultural School. In December 1988, we acquired a dairy and arable farm, spanning 165 hectares and home to 160 cows.

In 1992, we transitioned the farm to 100% organic farming. As they say in Denmark, switching to organic farming is a decision, but truly mastering it is a process that takes time. Only when you fully embrace this approach do you become a true steward of the land, working in harmony with nature—a journey that has been incredibly rewarding.

In 2006, we sold the farm, which had grown to 200 hectares of owned land, 700 hectares of leased land, and 375 dairy cows. This decision was driven by our desire for new challenges and a more balanced life beyond farming.

In 2008, I founded Jalo with the vision of processing landscape wood into pellets as a sustainable energy source, helping to reduce fossil fuel dependency and contribute to the energy transition in the Netherlands. The journey was not without its challenges, as landscape wood is not inherently suitable for producing ENplus-certified wood pellets. However, in 2014, we successfully developed and patented a system that ensures ENplus quality.

With a growing understanding of sustainability and the circular economy, we further refined our process, achieving a negative carbon footprint. Today, Jalo is ready for large-scale implementation, both in the Netherlands and internationally, in collaboration with Your.EARTH.