Cheese making farm and Kinderdijk

October 09, 2022

October 9, 2022

Today we had an early breakfast then met our guide Petra for a bus tour to the Booje farm. Along the way we heard about the chicken forest, where chickens run free and farmers come to “illegally” swap roosters out. Despite the fog over the peat meadows, we saw swans, pheasant, egrets, ducks, sheep, cows, and all types of contented animals. Sheep keep the road sides “mowed” and are shepherded by a 20 year old girl. Every so often she drives her flock over streets and bridges to the delight of the townspeople. Petra also told us of the one day each year when the farmers let their cows out once Spring has sprung and they literally dance with happiness. (On YouTube). she also told us that the government is trying to force farmers to reduce their livestock by 40-50% to reduce greenhouse gases which the farmers are fighting because there are other things that are causing it, like factories, cars, and people. As a result the farmers are flying the flag upside down all over the landscape.

We made it to the farm and were met by a lovely lady who took us through the process of making Gouda cheese. It’s a small farm and a very manual process to make the cheese. After the tour was over we entered the shop and were able to buy some cheeses, which we all did.

We then drove to Kinderdijk to see the 15th century windmills and learn about how this region was managed by the people that lived here and before there were dikes to protect it from flooding. We visited a windmill where a Miller, his wife, and their 13 children lived.