“A Gouda cheese brings together all the hard work and the family’s heritage.”
Welcome to De Jongenhoeve, the farm of Floor and Evelyn de Jong — or rather, of three generations of the De Jong family. Everyone rolls up their sleeves here to milk 500 cows each day and craft hundreds of cheeses each week.
Their greatest motivation lies in something fundamental: the farmer’s right to exist and the responsibility of feeding a growing global population. At the same time, they are deeply aware of the importance of animal welfare. The cows are not only their most valuable asset, but living beings that deserve care and compassion.
In every wheel of Gouda, they see not just the result of their hard work, but the legacy of their family — a story told through cheese. Together, they create a product they are truly proud of.
the cooperative
Leen and Ineke de Jong, the parents of Floor, became members of Coöperatie De Producent in the 1970s. Leen’s parents had already been members since 1937 — back then, the cooperative was one of the few places that offered farmers a fair price for their cheese, unlike many traders.
When Leen and Ineke got married, cheesemaking on the farm had come to a halt, and their membership had lapsed. But as it often goes: farming runs deep, and so does the pull of tradition. At the time, almost every farmer made cheese, and Ineke believed cheesemaking was an essential part of true farming.
But cheesemaking is a craft — and not a small one. And just as importantly, all that cheese has to be sold, which happened to be Leen’s least favourite part. After a particularly humiliating experience at the cheese market, and a difficult episode where they had to buy back their own cheese from a supermarket due to quality issues, the decision to rejoin the cooperative was quickly made.
That’s when the value of the cooperative really showed itself. An advisor from the co-op helped improve the quality of their cheese, and logistically, it became far easier to deliver to the cooperative — especially since the supermarket’s warehouse had relocated to the south of the country.
By becoming members again, they gained two things: consistent cheese quality and guaranteed sales. Leen even made a bit of history himself: he was the first to deliver cheese using what are now known as transport boxes — a change that caused such a stir at the time, the entire staff came out to take photos.
family history
The farmers of the cooperative are, almost without exception, part of long family traditions. A farm is rarely just a business — it’s a living family history, full of characters and stories. That’s certainly true for De Jongenhoeve, whose story begins with a small stack of Russian shares once issued by the tsar.
In 1911, Leendert Boer — a farmer himself — used those shares to buy a farm for his second son. It’s the farm now known as De Jongenhoeve. Just in time, as it turned out: by 1917, the Russian Revolution rendered the shares completely worthless.
His son Gerrit Boer moved onto the farm with his wife Jacoba and their three children: Piet, Grietje, and Leendert. When Grietje and her husband, Floor de Jong, later took over the farm, they faced a difficult period marked by illness and loss. The responsibility for running the farm quickly fell to their young son Leen. At the time, the farm had thirty-eight cows and one hundred fifty pigs.
Fortunately, Leen's wife Ineke — who grew up on a neighbouring farm — was a true farmer’s daughter, with hands-on experience in cheesemaking. Her passion for the craft is what inspired Leen and Ineke to revive the cheesemaking tradition shortly after they were married.
“By joining Coöperatie De Producent, we were guaranteed two things: high-quality cheese and a reliable market.”
the youngest generation
Today, the farm is led by Floor and Evelyn, though their son Leendert — the fifth generation since Gerrit Boer settled at De Jongenhoeve — is already playing an active role. Floor’s parents, Leen and Ineke, have no plans to retire just yet. Ineke still runs the farm shop she founded, and Leen can still be found in the cheesemaking room on production days.
With Floor joining the business, the farm has seen significant growth. The capacity of the cheese vat has increased from 2,900 to 9,000 litres, extra barn space and a rotary milking parlour have been built, and a second farm has been purchased. And if it’s up to son Leendert, this is just the beginning. Innovation is important to him too. While the rooftops are already covered with solar panels, the family continues to explore ways to make their operations more efficient and sustainable.
The family clearly believes in the future of farming. If there’s anyone passionate about making the voice of farmers heard — both in politics and through action — it’s Floor. Because farmers are still absolutely essential. And the youngest generation of the De Jong family? They certainly won’t be the last.
