CHEESE MAKER
On an island in the middle of the South Holland polder area, Hoeve Waterrijk produces globally acclaimed farmhouse cheese using centuries-old methods. Since 2014, the aged cheese from this farm has won gold six times at the annual national cheese competition and even silver once at the global competition.
The Netherlands is known for cheese and for a reason: this small country produces approximately 650 million kilograms of cheese a year, making it the fourth largest cheese producer in the world.
Out of 300 cheese farms in the Netherlands, the Van der Poel family is one of the last to still use generation-old wooden barrels in their cheesemaking process. “Because wooden barrels retain heat better than plastic ones, the cheeses can stay warm in the barrel much longer and you get a quality-rich aged cheese,” says Marije van der Poel.
But using wooden barrels is not the only reason for the good quality of their cheese. Their 150 cows are outdoors day and night, whenever possible, roaming freely across 70 acres of pasture and are fed as little supplemental food as possible. “Our cows are therefore very healthy, and you can taste that in the cheese.
We make less cheese than the big dairies because of our traditional way of working, but it is better for the product, the cows and nature,” says Marije.
The old customs on the farm are currently being passed on to their children Anna and Lucas. For example, Lucas transports the cheeses from the island by rowboat to the mainland and Anna brings in the cows on horseback for milking. Lucas is determined to take over the farm later.