Geitenboerderij – kaasmakerij Reigershof cv

Cooperative, biodynamic goat farm with cheese dairy
Making production and consumption net-positive for biodiversity

Reigershof cv

Started in: 1987

Project by: Reigershof cv

Started in: 1987

The project

Reigershof is an organic goat farm and cheese factory with LEF: Local, Ecological and Fair. We milk our goats and process the fresh milk into organic raw milk goat cheeses for local outlets. You can find our goat’s cheeses in our farm shop and various outlets across Belgium. In all facets of our operation, we strive for high-quality life-sustaining products with the lowest possible footprint and great attention to animal health. All this in a deep connection between the farmers/women, the animals, the soil, nature and the environment. This makes our goat farm resilient and robust and we want to propagate that.

 

Project location

De Haan, West Flanders, Belgium

Contribution(s)

45.000 kg/year crops and/or animal products

Project costs

More than 500.000 €

Participant(s)

Co-operators:

  • A partners: founders 60%
  • B partners: working partners 35%
  • C partners: customers and sympathisers 5%

How are the  criteria of the objective met?

Crops and animal products

  • Biodynamic farm management;
  • Manuring with farmyard manure and using compost;
  • Herb-rich grass/clover pastures;
  • Antibiotic-free livestock farming through herbs in feed and use of homeopathy;
  • Strips of forage trees and bushes in the pastures;
  • More than one kilometre of hedges, hedgerows and wooded borders planted;
  • Tall-stemmed orchard with old, local varieties;
  • Measures to minimise ammonia emissions by using zeolite (clay mineral).

Possible initiatives in which the project is involved :

EU organic label, Biogarantie label

Long-term maintenance

Maintain hedges, wood edges, pools, orchard.
Maximise goat resistance building. Breeding for strong, disease-free goats.
Stimulate soil life with compost and farmyard manure.

Benefits

People come for inspiration on how agroecological farming is good for the farmer, the animals and the environment.
We often hear from farm consumers that visiting the farm gives them peace of mind, lets them catch their breath.
We see a systematic progress in terms of fauna and flora and soil life.
For the organisation, the employees: a nice calming environment to work in.

Other projects linked to the objective: "Crops and animal products"

EN