Tuinderij Klein Alma is a self-picking garden located on the outskirts of Bedum, operating on a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. Participants, known as harvest members, purchase a share per household for the season, typically lasting around 32 weeks. This investment supports the farm’s operations and allows members to harvest their own produce weekly.
The farm practices environmentally friendly cultivation. While it does not hold a Skal organic certification, all purchased inputs like seeds, plants, and compost are of biological origin. The focus is on maintaining a healthy soil balance and promoting biodiversity through practices like planting native hedges and flower strips for insects, and avoiding chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers.
Harvest members are welcome to pick their share on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8:00 to 20:00, and on Saturdays from 8:00 to 13:00. On average, members can harvest 5-6 different vegetables per week, often with a wider selection available. A weekly harvest report keeps participants informed about what is ready for picking. Beyond vegetables, members can also usually pick flowers and herbs during a portion of the season.
Examples of produce available for self-picking at different times of the year include:
- Summer (e.g., week 27/24): Chinese cabbage, oak leaf lettuce, leek, broad beans, field peas (kapucijners), beetroot, celery, fennel.
- Late Summer/Autumn (e.g., week 38): Green beans, tomatoes, savoy cabbage, pointed cabbage, chicory (groenlof), lettuce, zucchini, potatoes.
- Winter (e.g., week 50): Kale, lamb’s lettuce (veldsla), broccoli, white cabbage (often used for sauerkraut), carrots, parsnip, pumpkin, endive.
- Future plans include offering small fruit and establishing a herb garden.
For those unable or unwilling to self-pick, the farm also offers freshly harvested vegetable boxes, available for pickup on Friday and Saturday mornings from the farm shop. These boxes contain 5-6 vegetables and can be ordered on a weekly basis.
The farm shop, open to everyone until the end of November on Fridays from 9:00 to 18:00 and Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 13:00, sells farm-fresh vegetables, other sustainable dry goods, and sometimes flowers. Additionally, Tuinderij Klein Alma hosts the “Lokaal Maal” food collective, where members collectively purchase locally produced and organic food items such as vegetables, fruits, bread, cheese, dairy, meat, fish, and dry goods directly from farmers and a biological wholesaler.
Interested visitors can learn more during “Open Garden” hours every Saturday morning from April to September, between 10:00 and 12:00, or by appointment. Tuinderij Klein Alma was founded in 2019 by Aukje Stoffelsma, who works alongside her husband Stefan, volunteers, interns, and harvest participants.
What visitors say
Visitors consistently praise this self-picking farm and its accompanying farm shop, highlighting it as a wonderful destination for harvesting fresh, healthy, and delicious vegetables and fruit. Reviewers appreciate the wide and varied selection of produce, often noting its organic quality, and find it to be excellent value for money. The experience is enhanced by the beautiful and peaceful setting, coupled with the warm and helpful welcome from the owners, Aukje and Stefan, and the friendly staff who are always ready to provide assistance. Beyond self-picking, the farm also offers items like potatoes, cheese, and flowers. Many visitors express their strong recommendation for the farm, with several planning to return for future visits.