The Field Guideby Moss & MarrowPlattelandswinkel De Haarse Gaard
- Organic methods: no synthetic pesticides or fertiliser, not certified
De Haarse Gaard is the farm shop of a fruit farm on the Thematerweg in Haarzuilens, at the edge of Leidsche Rijn, where the family grows apples, pears, plums and blackberries in the orchard behind the shop and elsewhere in the village.
The orchard carries nine apple varieties, among them Goudreinet, Cox and Elstar, and six pears, including Gieser Wildeman and Doyenne du Comice, and the farm's own apples and pears go into the juices sold in the shop, with nothing added. Honey comes from their own orchard. The rest of the range is sourced from the region where possible: vegetables, beef sold as organic (biologisch), chicken, Gaasterlander pork, dairy, cheese, eggs and flour from Molen De Windhond in Woerden, none of it yet confirmed by us.
The shop is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 17:00, but it closes for good on 31 October 2026; the fruit farm itself carries on.
The orchard is GlobalGAP-certified: natural enemies, helped by nest boxes for birds of prey, are used against insects and mice, and when sprays are needed the products with the least environmental impact are chosen.