Hugo and Marije van der Poel live in one of the most beautiful places in the country. Their farm, Hoeve Waterrijk, is located on an island on the border of the Kagerplassen in South Holland. For generations, our artisan cheese has been made on this beautiful family farm, according to old traditions using traditional methods. Due to our unique preparation, our farm cheese has its own taste and character.
Would you like to visit Hoeve Waterrijk? Use a rowboat. Because the farm is located on an island, you can only reach it by boat. This is precisely the reason Hugo’s grandparents started making cheese here in 1932. Ten litres of milk are enough to make a kilo of cheese, and cheeses are a lot easier to transport over water.
About 150 cows graze day and night in the green meadows on the island. They are red and black Holsteiners with some Montbéliarde and Blaarkop blood. These cows know how to handle fresh grass and are ideally suited to this unique environment.
Hugo and Marije work together with nature. The ditches of the island are not mowed to make way for the unique biodiversity and birds. The birds are also given space on land by mowing in mosaic management. As a result, the vulnerable young birds are concealed in the tall grass.
Would you like to taste our Aged Artisan Gouda?
Visit us at the farm!
