Ús Hôf is a permaculture market garden and self-picking farm located in Sibrandabuorren, near Sneek, in the province of Friesland. The garden operates as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative, cultivating a diverse range of vegetables, fruit trees, berry bushes, and flowers using natural methods without pesticides. The farm is open seven days a week from 09:00 to 20:00.
Self-picking members can harvest a wide variety of vegetables directly from the fields and a cold greenhouse. The list of produce includes: andijvie, aubergine, augurk, beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage (green, red, white, pointed, and savoy), cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory (green and red), corn, courgette, endive, fennel, French beans, kale, kohlrabi, lamb’s lettuce, lettuce (various types), mangetout, pak choi, parsnip, peppers, potato, pumpkin (various types), purslane (winter), radish, rocket, runner beans, spinach, spring onions, squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and turnips. In addition to the subscription vegetables, fruit such as apples, pears, berries, raspberries, and strawberries are also offered when available. Herbs are available for harvesting as well.
The picking season runs from approximately May 1st until January 1st, covering about 35 weeks, depending on the weather. Members can harvest at any time during daylight hours, in accordance with the farm’s harvesting guidelines. For those unable to pick their own, a weekly vegetable bag service is available for collection at the farm in Sibrandabuorren on Tuesday (16:00-18:30) or Saturday (10:00-13:00), or at pick-up points in Sneek (Tuesday or Saturday) and Bolsward (Saturday). The farm also hosts a Food Cooperative, which allows members to order additional local and organic products for Saturday pickup.
What visitors say
Visitors consistently express high satisfaction with this self-picking farm, hailing it as a superb and exemplary model for sustainable agriculture. Many praise it as a wonderful cooperative garden that demonstrates how farming should ideally be done, offering fresh, delicious, and high-quality organic produce cultivated through ecological crop rotation. A significant benefit highlighted is the ability to acquire vegetables for nearly ten months of the year at an exceptionally affordable daily cost of around €2, all while drastically reducing plastic packaging waste. Beyond the excellent produce and sustainable practices, guests enjoy the beautiful garden, the friendly atmosphere fostered by the people involved, and the overall delightful experience, seeing it as a prime example of community-supported agriculture.