At Sfeer van Willems in Wijchen, visitors pick their own seasonal vegetables, herbs, and soft fruit from a one-hectare plot. The farm grows over 40 varieties, including spinach, kale, leeks, courgettes, tomatoes, aubergines, strawberries, and an assortment of herbs like basil, dill, and coriander. The selection changes with the season—spring brings early greens and radishes, while autumn offers pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, and root vegetables. A weekly email or on-site notice board lists what’s ready for harvest.
You pay an annual membership fee rather than by weight. Adults (16+) pay €347 a year, children aged 5–10 €86.62, and those under 5 pick for free. Members can harvest daily during opening hours, bringing their own bags or containers. The farm provides scales, knives, and other tools, and staff offer advice on how to pick without damaging the plants. Some crops, like certain greens, are pre-picked and left in the wooden shed for collection.
The farm is open year-round, with extended hours in spring and summer (08.00 to 19.00) and shorter days in autumn and winter (08.00 to 17.00). It operates every day of the week, including weekends. A small shop sells honey from the farm’s beehives and products from local partners, such as organic eggs and mushrooms.
Sfeer van Willems also has a barefoot trail, open on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10.30 to 15.30. The €5.25 entry fee includes access to the picking garden. The trail features natural surfaces like sand, wood, and stones, with activities designed to engage the senses. A covered pavilion can be rented for private events. The farm is run by Frank and Wilma Willems, who took over the land from Wilma’s father, a former market gardener.
What visitors say
Visitors come for the blotevoetenpad, a barefoot trail that winds around the farm’s well-tended vegetable garden. The path is varied—mud, sand, wood chips—and dotted with playful tasks, facts and poems, making it a hit with children aged 2 to 12. Most families spend about 45 minutes on the trail, though some linger for hours, especially when the garden is in full bloom. The owners give a warm welcome and a clear explanation before you start, and there’s a hose to rinse off muddy feet afterwards.
The pick-your-own garden itself is lush and diverse, with seasonal vegetables, fruit and flowers. If you’re an oogstgenoot (harvest member), you can fill your basket with fresh produce; others pay per kilo. The owners are always on hand to help or share tips about the crops, bees or chickens. A few visitors found the trail smaller than expected, but most call it a refreshing, hands-on outing—especially on a sunny day.