A few weeks ago we visited our adoptive cow Karoline at the farm ‘De Klaverhoeve’ of Jan Vrolijk and his family in Oosthuizen. Karoline is now 6 months pregnant with her first calf. We were very glad to see she is doing well. She is outside in a separate meadow, together with the other young cows. The ‘adopt a cow’ program is going great, farmer Jan told us. There is even a waiting list! The cows get pregnant the old fashioned way. This is the lucky job for the bulls Piet and Theo. The young cows visit the young bull Piet and the older ones have fun with Theo. I already told you before that Jan takes good care of his animals. But, being an organic farmer he also takes good care of everything else, including the farmland. That is why there are all kinds of beautiful plants and flowers to discover on the borders of the canals that run through his land.

Many wild flowers bloom on the land of farmer Jan. The plants are actually counted and the farmer is subsidized for having as many different plants and flowers as possible. The flower in the picture is a flowering rush or ‘Butomus umbellatus’. In Dutch it is called a zwanenbloem (swan flower). It is not very rare but it is protected by law. Farmer Jan also has a project for the protection of a little rodent called the Noordse Woelmuis, a rare and endangered animal in the West of Holland. We haven’t seen the little fellow yet, maybe just as well if he keeps himself out of harms way a bit.

Take a look at the website of organic farm ‘De Klaverhoeve’. (in Dutch)