De Hommelhoeve is a small-scale mixed farm in the Netherlands that aims to produce healthy food in a nature-inclusive way, providing habitat for wildlife.
The farm offers a self-picking garden with a subscription for weekly fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits. Also they offer grass-fed Brandrode beef, Duroc free-range pork, free-range chicken eggs and meat for sale. The farm is located in the northern part of Brummen, between Zutphen and Apeldoorn. An open day takes place on Whit Monday, June 9. The farm is connected to Voedselnetwerk IJsselmarke, a collaboration for local food from a healthy landscape.
The farm has a vision to cooperate with nature in plant and animal care, providing space for many species to live and providing people with good, natural food. They seek creative, nature-friendly solutions to problems and believe in learning from mistakes.
In December 2018, they bought the farm and with the help of crowdfunding they were able to buy the house plot of 5.3 ha! In March 2019, 5000 trees and shrubs were planted around the fields and orchards. The pastures were leased to biofarm ‘De Kruytbosch’ from Hall. They started a small vegetable garden and a few chickens in their garden. In 2020, the vegetable garden grew significantly and they were able to feed themselves year-round. In July, they got their dog Lupa. During their first compost heap course, they got inspired and bought 3 Brandrode cows, 2 of which were pregnant! In 2021, the company took shape, the company name De Hommelhoeve came to them. In March, the calves Gert-Jan and Hendrika were born! In the summer, bull Sten was bought to cover the cows. In the summer, cat Lynxie came and they cultivated their first grain for straw in the pot stable. The garden grew further and they couldn’t eat the vegetables themselves anymore. They make the biological-dynamic preparations under the inspiring guidance of Jan Weijsenfeld during the Preparation course that they have been organizing since this year. 2022 was a fruitful year. 5 calves, 9 puppies and 5 kittens and a lot of chicks were born! The first vegetable garden course is a fact and they repeat the compost course and preparation course. In September, the three piglets Knir, Knar and Knor came here. The first bull, Sten, was slaughtered at the end of October. In 2023, they continue to grow! They converted and set up a piece of pasture for the self-harvesting garden. They currently manage more than 11 hectares of land, including 1200m2 of potatoes and 2 hectares of grain, 13 cattle, now 2 pigs, 16 chickens and 4 bee colonies. The first pig was slaughtered for the Open Day on Whit Monday.
The farm works with natural fertilizer/compost, as much as possible from their own farm. They have a small herd of Brandrode cattle. They produce milk and manure from herb-rich grass and willow branches. They also feed them crushed grains from their own land and an herbal mix from the Bio Kräuter Mühle in Germany. With the manure they make compost with which they improve the soil. They plant trees with edible fruits in the fruit orchard, the walnut orchard and the sweet chestnut lane.
In December 2018, they planted hedges, hedgerows and bushes around the fields. They made different combinations of all native species.
They interviewed for the Brummense Landschapsbiografie about their approach to the landscape.
The calves are weaned to prevent premature coverage. The bulls of different ages stay together in a pasture. They graze in different places on De Hommelhoeve, in their woods in Hoenderloo, the leased pastures and on a number of pastures near people who have a piece of land.
The Brandrode cattle can in principle be outside year-round, calve easily and they do well on a meager ration. The cows graze in the meadows of the house plot in the summer and are milked twice a day at the feed rack in the stable. They maintain their horns, which play an important role in digestion and mineral balance. The meat of these cattle is healthy and tasty. Their animals have never had antibiotics or other regular medications. They do get special mixed herbs for cattle from the BioKräuterMühle of Hubert Cremer just across the border in Germany. Grass-fed beef is known for a very good omega 3 - omega 6 ratio. Their cows don’t get corn, no grass silage, only herb-rich grassland and hay from it (free of artificial fertilizer and chemicals).
The chickens scavenge with the hens through the run and regularly over the yard and through the greenery. They get food (crushed grains) from their own land, supplemented with organic laying pellets. When they are at home, the chickens are allowed to scavenge for their own food in the yard and the land. The chickens eat fairly locally, because they scavenge themselves and get crushed grains that are grown on the Hommelhoeve, currently spelt, wheat, rye, oats and a little barley.
The bee colonies live in 4 different hives and boxes. These are honey bees. There are also many bumblebees and solitary, wild bees.
Since 2020, they have been growing different types of grain on this field. There has already been summer wheat, summer rye, oats, spelt and St. John’s Rye. They also had barley further on at the Hommelstraat and there is now summer wheat. The rye straw is also used to weave the hanging baskets for the bees. The remaining straw goes into the pot stable and the grain through the grain crusher as feed for the animals. They also bake bread from it themselves.
The piglets live in the pig pasture. They like to root in the ground with their noses, roll in the mud and bask in the sun. The pigs eat all of their milk surpluses, whey that remains from cheese making, soaked crushed grains from the land, surpluses of less beautiful beets, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and many pumpkins and everything they dig up in plant roots and critters and slugs that they give them. They give us delicious tender meat at the end of their lives.
At the end of the summer, the grain is threshed and stored in silos. Every day a little goes into the pot stable, where the cows stay inside at night and in the winter. They poop on it and that becomes the most beautiful stable manure together. This is the perfect food for the soil life at De Hommelhoeve! Of the grain can be baked bread and pancakes. But because cleaning and peeling still needs to be organized, most of the grain now goes through the grain crusher as (supplementary) feed for the cows, pigs and chickens.
There is a small farm campsite. There is no water or electricity connection at the tent sites. Vegetables can be harvested from the self-harvest garden for preparing fresh meals at the campsite! Other farm products such as milk, yogurt, meat (beef and pork), eggs are available separately.
The Buggenhoutse caravan is for rent.
They have a self-harvest garden with a small farm store. In the store there is sauerkraut, and winter carrots and red beets. They also sell light root. There is pork from their Duroc free-range pigs, grass-fed beef and as long as supplies last meat from their free-range chickens for sale. With a subscription for the self-harvest garden you are a partner of De Hommelhoeve. The garden becomes a bit your garden because you are assured of a share in the garden yield that you can come and harvest weekly. Abonnement holders contribute to a landscape rich in biodiversity.
There are regular courses.
There is a compost course.
There is a newsletter.
What visitors say
This charming farm beautifully embodies organic, biodynamic farming principles, offering a serene escape. Guests particularly appreciate the opportunity to participate in harvesting fresh, seasonal produce like raspberries, berries, and potatoes, and some enjoyed volunteering. The farm’s dedication to working in harmony with nature, coupled with the friendly and passionate staff, creates a welcoming atmosphere. The quirky “Zigeunerwagen” and “Pipowagen” accommodations provide a unique and relaxing experience, where visitors can unwind amidst the tranquil countryside, observing grazing cows and nesting storks. However, some guests found the beds in the Zigeunerwagen to be uncomfortably firm and noted the lack of shade as a drawback, suggesting the addition of a parasol or shade cloth would improve the experience. One person described a negative experience attempting to participate in a course with a lack of communication after registration.