Centuries ago, Graan voor Visch was a farm. It stood where a football field is now. This area was once underwater. The name Graan voor Visch means grain for fish. It signifies that farming replaced fishing after the Haarlemmermeer was drained.
The Graan voor Visch farm was a typical Haarlemmermeer type. Its barn walls were made of corrugated iron. The farm’s land stretched to the Reformed Church on Hoofdweg.
Dirk Lammers from The Hague was the first owner. He sold crops and livestock in 1859. His investment didn’t pay off. He sold the farm to Pieter Beers in 1860. Beers then sold it in 1862 to Nicolaas Zadelhoff. The farm changed hands several times after that.
Arend Cornelis Nieuwenhuis was the last farmer. He moved there in 1953 with his family. In the 1960s, plans arose to build two thousand homes on the land. This meant the end for the Graan voor Visch farm. Arend Nieuwenhuis and his family left in 1971. Soon after the farm was torn down. The trees remain today.
The new neighborhood was named after the farm. It is now known as Graan voor Visch.
Anton shares a story. The farm stood nearly opposite the White Farm. Graan voor Visch refers to fishing. Fishing was the main source of food before the Haarlemmermeer was drained. Fish gave way to grain. This ended in 1970. Derk Lammers was the first owner.
Pieter Beers of IJweg was the second owner. He sold the farm to Nicolaas Zadelhoff. The farm was then sold to Cornelis Boer from Oudewater. It was sold again in 1864 to Pieter Wiering from Houwert. Pieter died after nine months. His young widow was left with six children. She remarried her neighbor Lourens van der Zon. After sixteen years of marriage her second husband also died.
In 1896, the farm was sold to the Amsterdam Goods Transport Company. IJtsen Tamminga lived there from 1896 to 1912. In 1914, the farm was sold again. Ant. Digman-Stokman became the new owner. But Stokman wanted to sell the farm after two years.
The Coevert family from Molenaarslaan came to Graan voor Visch. His son Gerrit Coevert continued the family business. Arend Nieuwenhuis became the farm manager in 1943. He was a farmer’s son from Lisse. In 1948, they became independent farmers and tenants. Arend was married to Maria Johanna Langwereis. Besides arable farming, he grew flax, beets, and grains. They also raised chickens and pigs.
Starting in 1969, two thousand homes were built there. They included seven hundred public housing units. All the land was built up in pieces. Arend and his wife and eight children left the farm with sadness. He worked at the auction for many years after that.
Graan voor Visch was the first housing estate. It was built behind the Geniedijk. The district has a mix of affordable houses. It also has social housing. This attracts starters and vulnerable households. The average income here is the lowest in Haarlemmermeer.