The Field Guideby Moss & Marrow't Melkhuusje
- Cattle, sheep or goats graze on pasture in the grazing season
- Pigs and poultry live free range: outdoors on pasture, in woodland or a run
- No synthetic pesticides or fertiliser (certified)
- Zero waste
't Melkhuusje is the self-service milk and egg shed of the Van Middendorp family farm on the Wesselseweg in the middle of Kootwijkerbroek, where about 60 organic dairy cows and 6,000 organic laying hens are kept.
The milk comes straight from the farm's own cows and is sold raw from a milk tap (melk-drive), so it can be used for anything from coffee to home-made yoghurt and boerenvla (farm custard). Because it is not pasteurised, their website recommends boiling it before use, especially for pregnant women, babies, older people and those in poor health. In summer the cows are out in the meadow, and they are milked twice a day. The eggs from the 6,000 hens are sold for consumption, a small part of them here from a vending machine. The farm is certified organic (SKAL), which we found in the register under Maatschap Nieuw Middendorp.
Everything is self-service in the converted egg room of the old wooden hen house, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 20:00 and Saturday from 8:30 to 17:00, and closed on Sundays and public holidays. Bring an empty jug or buy a jerrycan from the egg machine, which takes coins and five and ten euro notes.
Most of the milk leaves by tanker for the cheese factory in Rouveen; what the tap sells is the small share kept back for direct sale.