Beemster cows are champions in the pasture!

It is an archetypal Dutch scene: cows in the meadow. Good for the cow and good for the taste of the cheese, we at Beemster cheese think. That is why we are proud to announce that this year we achieved the highest number of grazing days ever. A record average of 194.5 days and almost 11 hours per day. A nice growth compared to the 180 days average in 2017 and again much more than the minimum standard of 120 days of Stichting Weidegang.

Happy cows give the tastiest milk

This year saw particularly good results, despite a difficult grazing year with lots of extreme weather. The spring came late and the summer was dry and hot. By grazing at night, watering the land and properly rationing the fresh grass, farmers still managed to keep grazing going. And more than that. The Beemster cows walked the pasture more than ever this year.

Grazing remains

Grazing is in the DNA of Beemster dairy farmers. Dairy farmers who have been farming for a long time don't know any better. As Erben Wennemars said during the presentation of the national grazing results, "If I had told my grandfather 20 years ago that we needed a covenant around grazing in order to keep grazing going he would not have understood this." Evert Kremer, dairy farmer and board chairman of CONO cheese makers, the makers of Beemster cheese: "Our dairy farmers know that outdoor grazing is important for the well-being of the cows and is the basis for the tastiest cheese. That is why the Beemster cows walk outside in the pasture as soon as nature allows."