Farmers' cooperative
Our Cheese Factory
The tastiest cheese is made climate neutrally
Read all about our cheese factory here
Our cooperative
Over 400 cattle farmers and lots of milk!
Our cows
100% North Holland pasture milk
Our cooperative
We are CONO Cheesemakers, and we make Beemster cheese in our cheese factory. Our farmer cooperative consists of over 400 farmers who supply milk to our cheese factory with all their cows every day. Our farmers run the cooperative, where sustainability is paramount.
By now our cheese factory employs 2 cheese masters and over 40 cheesemakers. With about 170 colleagues, we make the tastiest Beemster cheeses every day and our customers have been enjoying the delicious and distinct flavor of our cheese every day for more than 100 years!
The focus is on making the entire chain sustainable. From blade of grass to cheese. Therefore, many measures have already been taken for the various links in the chain. For example, many livestock farmers have switched to renewable energy (gas and electricity), some are even harvesting solar energy.
Fair milk price
Our dairy farmers are specialists in caring for cows. We reward them for that with a fair milk price. We started doing that a long time ago. You could say that we are pioneers in sustainability. In 2002 we were the first cooperative to start with a premium for grazing. In 2013 we doubled the premium and since 2017 we have been the first cooperative to pay out 2 cents per kilogram of milk. Only in this way do we remain fair to the farmer, to the cow and to the consumer, who can expect the tastiest cheese from us.
Livestock farmers and cheese makers together, from blade of grass to cheese, make the tastiest cheese. Together with more than 400 cattle farmers in our cooperative, we manage the entire chain from blade of grass to cheese. In doing so, we value the preservation of nature and the environment and, of course, the health of the cow. Did you know that, on average, a Beemster cow lives longer?
Check out our stories here
Who we are, what we do, and how we do it? That's actually too much to mention. Our farmers, cheesemakers and even the cows would like to tell you their story. We have therefore made a number of short videos. Sit back and enjoy!