From cow to cheese: a unique look behind the scenes at De Lange Hoeve
Photographer and storyteller Jeanine Verbraak takes a look behind the scenes at De Lange Hoeve cheese farm in Genderen. Together with cheese maker Djow, she discovers how milk from their own cows transforms step by step into cheese full of character. Between the barn, the cheese dairy and the rows of ripening cheeses, she experiences how much attention, time and craftsmanship goes into making cheese.
Those who order a Biesboschlinie sandwich with aged cheese from De Lange Hoeve taste more than just a hearty, rich flavor. Behind that cheese from Genderen is a story of early mornings, precision work and a large dose of love for the craft. Cheesemaker Djow takes me through that story, here, at Cheese Farm De Lange Hoeve in Genderen, cheese doesn't start in a barrel, but with the cow.
Five or six years ago Djow rolled into the business, almost by accident. A call for a Saturday cheesemaker turned out to be the beginning of something bigger. Meanwhile, the work is anything but an afterthought. "It's restful work; you start with a tank full of milk and by the end of the day you've made 100 cheeses. And in between, everything has to be right."
From stable to cheese factory
Some 350 cows stand in the barn. Quietly, chewing, curiously looking. Together good for almost 10,000 liters of milk a day. That milk is the basis of everything that happens here.
Inside the cheese factory, that milk transforms step by step into cheese. The milk enters large tanks, is pasteurized briefly and then flows into a large cheese vat. A special detail: this still comes from the old dairy factory that used to stand in the village.
Rennet is added: bacteria that determine the taste. Then rennet, which causes the milk to coagulate into cottage cheese. After half an hour, that mass is cut into small cubes, heated and compressed into cheeses. Large, round shapes weighing about 12 pounds each. About 50 come out of one container.
Salt, time and patience
The cheeses then disappear into a brine bath two meters deep. Two days later they have their first character: about 2% salt. Then they dry, are coated against dehydration and mold, and the waiting begins. Because good cheese is not only made with technique, but especially with time. Young cured lies four to six weeks. But for the cheeses Djow really looks forward to, it takes months.
We walk from room to room where all the cheeses are maturing. Most of the cheeses leave the farm pretty soon, heading for a major buyer and eventually supermarkets throughout the Netherlands. But some of it stays here. It is really impressive to see how many cheeses are being developed here at the same time and how they slowly get their character.
From farm to plate
Finally, the old cheese comes together in something recognizable and local: the Biesboschlinie sandwich. On this sandwich you not only taste the artisanal old cheese, but also the region itself. The farm, the craftsmanship and the patience of the ripening process all come together here.
This makes the Biesboschlinie sandwich more than just a lunch. It is a real regional product, made with cheese that literally comes from nearby. A tasteful connection between farm, region and plate.
Between the cows
By now we are back in the barn. The air is warm, the rhythm calm. Djow looks around, at the cows that form the basis of his work here.
"The cheese making itself is very soothing," he says. "You start with a tank full of milk and by the end of the day you've made a hundred cheeses. But what I am most proud of is cutting open an extra mature cheese after seven months of aging and discovering that it turned out exactly as imagined. You only achieve that together, paying attention to every step of the process."
Even the season plays a role. In summer, when the cows eat fresh grass, grass cheese is created: creamier and fuller. In winter, the feed changes and with it subtly the taste.
Always in motion
In the farm store, visitors buy cheeses straight from the source, complemented by a selection of local products. Everything for a well-filled drink board. Those wishing to stay longer can visit the campsite, the B&B or the cozy attic with bar, suitable for larger parties. Outside, the landscape of Altena stretches out in peace.
Meanwhile, people are looking ahead: new flavors, special herbs and experiments with natural rind without coating. But also bigger steps, such as a new barn, manure fermentation into biogas and milking robots that give the cows more freedom.
Yet the basics remain unchanged: milk, attention and patience.
Also want to visit the cheese farm?
Opening hours
Wednesday from 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours
Thursday from 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours
Friday from 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours
Saturday from 09.00 hours to 15.00 hours
Address
Kleibergsestraat 2 in Genderen
In the Biesboschlinie you will find the most delicious regional products, locally produced. Get to know all the beauty our farmers have to offer.
Fancy the Biesboschlinie sandwich? You can order at andel@despar.info