Stadstuinderij Het Zoete Land in Leiden is a community-supported urban farm where you pick your own vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit. The season runs from late April to early November, depending on the weather. You can join as an oogstdeelnemer (harvest participant), bloemenplukker (flower picker) or volunteer.
As a harvest participant, you receive weekly updates on what is ready to pick and how much is available. You then visit the farm to gather your share of the week’s produce, which typically includes around seven different vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and seasonal fruit such as berries and strawberries. The farm operates on a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model, where participants share the harvest and the risks of farming. There are three options: harvest participation only (€390 per year), harvest participation with cut flowers (€505 per year), or flowers only (€155 per year). The flower season is shorter, from May or June to October, and you pick a weekly bouquet of 15 to 20 stems. One participation is usually enough for two people.
The farm is open for picking on Fridays from 9.00 to 14.00 and Saturdays from 9.00 to 13.00 during the harvest season. There is a long waiting list for both harvest and flower participation, with some applicants waiting several years. If you want to join sooner, the farm suggests nearby alternatives such as Bij-mei in Zoeterwoude or Wijdehorst in Wassenaar.
Volunteers help with planting, weeding and other tasks under the guidance of the farm’s professional grower, Jessica Zwartjes. You can volunteer on Monday, Friday or Saturday mornings if you are available at least once a week. The farm also welcomes students for internships.
Everything is grown ecologically, without artificial fertilisers or pesticides. The farm is wheelchair-accessible and open to the public year-round. It is run by Stichting Leiden Oogst, a foundation that manages two urban farms in the area.
What visitors say
Het Zoete Land is a well-kept city garden in the heart of Leiden, offering a quiet, green escape with the chance to harvest your own vegetables. The space is beautifully designed, with neat rows and a relaxed feel—visitors often call it one of the nicest spots in the city. Most describe the staff as friendly and welcoming, though one recent review mentioned a disappointing encounter with an employee who damaged something they shouldn’t have.
The garden is popular for its festivals and events, like the Aardedans performance, and there’s a barefoot path that kids enjoy. Picking is straightforward, though details on what’s available or how pricing works aren’t mentioned in recent reviews. A few years back, people praised the social and educational aspects, but the focus now seems more on the atmosphere than the produce itself.