Geertje’s Hoeve Haarzuilens is an experiential farm located near Utrecht, dedicated to making farm life tangible for visitors of all ages. The farm features goats and pigs, an on-site cheesemaking facility, a farm shop, and a lunch restaurant.
Visitors can engage directly with the farm’s produce through self-picking opportunities. From July through September, guests can pick their own bouquets of biological flowers from the farm’s fields on specific weekend mornings. Additionally, the farm hosts potato harvest days in mid-August, providing a chance for guests to collect their own potatoes. While pumpkins and courgettes are grown on the farm and sold in the shop, self-picking is not explicitly mentioned for these, though pumpkin carving workshops are available in autumn.
The farm shop offers a variety of products, including their own organic goat cheese (fresh, aged, and flavored varieties), raw and pasteurized organic goat milk, other goat dairy products like quark, ice cream, butter, and spreadable cheese. They also sell potatoes from their own land (Frieslander, Alouette, Connect varieties), seasonal courgettes, and meat from their own pigs and goats, as well as locally sourced beef and chicken. Beyond their own produce, the shop stocks other artisanal, organic, and regional Dutch products like bread mixes, cow cheeses, eggs, and craft beers.
The on-site restaurant, housed in a former stable, serves lunch dishes and pancakes made with their own goat milk and organic ingredients. It provides a relaxed setting with a play corner for children and a sunny terrace. The farm regularly organizes themed brunches (Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Sinterklaas, Christmas) and offers various dinner buffets and a 3-course menu for groups.
Beyond produce, Geertje’s Hoeve provides a wide range of activities and experiences. Daily activities include feeding goats, bottle-feeding lambs (spring to autumn), pony rides, and enjoying the playground, covered straw maze, or sandpit. Guided farm tours, mini-golf with clogs, traditional Dutch ball games (klootschieten), and workshops like cheese making, butter making, clog painting, and wild foraging are available for groups. The farm also hosts seasonal events, including Christmas tree sales and winter experiences. It serves as a unique venue for family celebrations like birthdays, weddings, and baby showers, as well as corporate events, meetings, team outings, and educational programs for schools and childcare groups, all designed to connect people with agricultural life.
Geertje’s Hoeve operates with an emphasis on organic, small-scale farming, utilizing natural cycles and local resources, avoiding pesticides and artificial fertilizers, and prioritizing animal welfare. The farm is generally open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 (Sundays 11:00-17:00), with some seasonal closures on Mondays and Tuesdays from late autumn to early spring. It is easily accessible by car, public transport, cycling, and walking.
What visitors say
Geertjes Hoeve is widely regarded as a fantastic family outing, particularly appealing to those with young children. The farm offers engaging opportunities for animal interaction, where visitors can feed and pet a variety of animals, most notably the many goats and their young, as well as pigs, chickens, peacocks, and ponies. Beyond animal encounters, a range of play options, including a popular hay barn for climbing, sandpits, and numerous ride-on vehicles like tractors and bikes, keeps children entertained for hours. Educational activities like cheese-making workshops and witnessing animal births further enrich the experience.
Amenities include a welcoming restaurant and cafe known for its hearty pancakes, cheesecakes, and ice cream, often prepared with fresh, local ingredients from the farm. A well-stocked farm shop also provides a diverse selection of regional products, from various cheeses and meats to honey. While entry to the farm itself is free, a common highlight for many, visitors should anticipate costs for parking and on-site food and drink consumption.
However, the experience is not without its drawbacks. Many visitors point to the deteriorating condition of the play equipment, with numerous bikes and other structures reportedly in need of repair or replacement. Pricing for certain items, such as goat milk bottles and cafe offerings, is frequently considered expensive, especially when coupled with mandatory paid parking. Concerns about animal welfare are also raised by a significant minority, citing young animals in crowded, unsupervised enclosures, constant exposure to noise and rough handling by children, and inadequate conditions for some animals, including ponies and pigs. Instances of lukewarm coffee, undercooked food, and occasional service inconsistencies are also mentioned. Despite these issues, the farm’s popularity endures as a lively and generally enjoyable destination, particularly for its direct and accessible connection to farm life.