Groningen ‘Pink Farm‘ Restoration Begins, Will Remain a Protest Symbol During Work
GRONINGEN – Restoration efforts have begun on the famed ”pink farm” in Groningen, a property deliberately painted in the striking color to protest the ongoing fallout from years of gas extraction-induced earthquakes. Funding for the refurbishment comes from national monument funds, supplemented by a €50 million allocation from an intervention team established to address harrowing situations in the earthquake-affected region.
Owners Jan ten Have and Siep Nijhoff have emptied the structurally compromised building, currently bracing for ceiling collapse. “It’s hard to see, but on the other hand, as something is going to happen. That is very beautiful,” Ten Have stated.
Despite the positive step, the refurbishment highlights the continued struggle for thousands of Groningen residents still awaiting compensation for damage caused by the gas extraction. Approximately 18,000 damage reports remain open, with 4,000 residents waiting over two years for a resolution on their claims, according to data from the damage counter (schadedoormijnbouw.nl).
Coert Fossen,Chairman of the Groninger Soil Movement,welcomed the farm’s restoration but emphasized the broader issue. “After the parliamentary survey,the government promised to make handling milder,more human and easier. That was partly accomplished. People with small damage can get a sum of money and thereby repair their damage. But people with large claims do not notice a difference, even after two years.”
Outgoing State Secretary for Restore Groningen, Bart van marum (BBB), attributed the delays to various factors, including residents awaiting more favorable arrangements and the complexity of larger claims. He anticipates increased progress on larger claims starting in November.
The farm will remain pink throughout the one-and-a-half to two-year restoration process. Nijhoff explained the decision: “You don’t know how it goes. There may be some setbacks. Until then the pink color stays on the facade. After that he will turn off white again, as he was always. And perhaps there is still a pink stone left, because we want to symbolize the problem in Groningen.”
