Boerderij de Kikkershoek is a farm located in Mijnsheerenland, offering a variety of self-picking experiences, farm products, and recreational activities.
During its respective season, visitors can pick their own apples and pears directly from the orchard. Additionally, potatoes (Melody variety) are available for bulk collection from the barn by appointment, providing a direct-from-the-farm purchasing experience.
The farm features a shop that sells a wide range of pure, fresh, and local products, with offerings varying by season. These include vegetables, fruits, and potatoes, alongside homemade jams, ready-made stewed pears, eggs, and various dairy products like buttermilk, kefir, yogurts, custards, quark, milk, cream, and butter sourced from local producers. Other items available are farm ice cream, fruit juices (apple and apple-pear), local honey, artisanal chips, cookies, cakes, and meadow-fed beef. The farm also prepares custom fruit baskets and gift packages featuring regional products.
Boerderij de Kikkershoek provides numerous activities for all ages. Guests can play farmer’s golf through the scenic orchard, enjoy canoeing, or participate in polder sports which include challenges like water helmet races, net crawling, and mud football. Archery is another option. For children, there’s a dedicated outdoor play area with pedal tractors and go-karts, making it an ideal venue for children’s parties. The farm also caters to group outings, family events, and offers educational programs for schools, which can include farm tours, making apple sauce or bread, raft building, and team-building exercises, often with an optional BBQ.
Visitors can relax on a large terrace, where coffee, tea, apple juice, and soft drinks are available. The farm emphasizes a commitment to healthy, artisanal, and pure products, primarily sourced from its own land and the Hoeksche Waard region, aiming for minimal food miles.
What visitors say
This self-picking farm and its accompanying shop are widely appreciated for offering an authentic, cozy experience with a strong focus on fresh, local produce. Visitors frequently laud the friendly and helpful staff, who contribute to a pleasant atmosphere.
The farm is particularly popular for its self-picking opportunities, including apples, pears, and cherries, which are described as a delightful and inexpensive activity for families and children. These experiences often extend to educational activities such as apple peeling and applesauce making, guided tours about fruit growth, scavenger hunts, and farmer’s golf. The venue is also a favored spot for children’s parties, family outings, and even corporate events, with organizers receiving accolades for creating memorable experiences. Beyond picking, the farm shop offers a broad selection of delicious, high-quality, and often organic products like their own apples, pears, potatoes, diverse vegetables, fruit, apple juice, eggs, meat, and jam, generally found to be reasonably priced. The location is easy to reach by car, offering ample parking.
However, the experience is not universally positive. Some visitors have raised concerns about hygiene, specifically citing an “extremely dirty chicken coop” and questioning animal welfare practices given the sale of edible products. A notable number of reviews also detail distressing incidents of perceived discrimination during cherry-picking, where individuals with a “migration background” reported feeling unwelcome, being unfairly restricted to lower-quality produce, and even accused of theft at checkout, leading to feelings of insult and humiliation. Other criticisms include instances of unfriendly staff, a general impression of an “old and dusty” environment, strict enforcement of picking area limitations, and occasional long waiting times.
Despite these varied experiences, the farm typically leaves a positive impression, celebrated as a valuable local establishment offering fresh produce and engaging activities, making it a recurring destination for many.