Work hard and enjoy
Welcome to Koudekerk aan den Rijn — and welcome to the Van Leeuwen family. In this farming family, the craft of cheesemaking has been practiced for over a hundred years. Today, it’s continued by Hans, his brother Koos, and Koos’s son Mark.
With great care and dedication, they look after their cows and their cheese. Special attention is given to crossbreeding cow breeds to ensure strong, healthy animals. And each year, their land plays host to the local highlight: the Trekkertrek — the ultimate farm event for the entire region.
the cooperative
The family’s membership in the cooperative goes back to the father of Koos and Hans. But when cheese prices dropped during the winter, he decided to take matters into his own hands and left the cooperative to sell directly at the market.
Over time, however, the traders he supplied stopped operating, and the family began looking again for certainty and stability. In 2014, they rejoined the cooperative — and once again, their cheeses found their way back to us.
Cows & cheese
The Van Leeuwen family farm originally stood in Reeuwijk, just north of Gouda. But when the A12 motorway was widened, it was no longer possible to continue farming there. So, in 1971, the family moved to Koudekerk aan den Rijn, where they’ve been able to continue their work with love and care ever since — now looking after one hundred twenty dairy cows.
Roughly half of their milk is turned into cheese, mainly Sedurre and 12-kilo farmhouse wheels. The other half is delivered to the factory. A portion of the cheese is sold locally through a cheese vending machine at the farm, allowing neighbours and cyclists to enjoy traditional farmhouse cheese — any time of day or night. The rest is brought to the cooperative, which handles the sales and distribution.
The family also puts great care into breeding their cows. For example, they focus on crossbreeding to make calving easier for the animals. They're currently exploring a cross between their Holsteins and smaller Jerseys, aiming to reduce the size of the herd slightly. Larger cows have more difficulty standing up and often outgrow the resting stalls — animal welfare always comes first here. After all, the cows provide the milk that forms the base of every cheese.
That’s why, except during milking, the barn doors are deliberately left open, so the cows can choose where they feel most comfortable — inside or out. On hot days, they often prefer the cool shade of the barn, where large fans help regulate the temperature. In the evening, when it cools down, they head outside again if they feel like it.
Life on the farm gives not only the cows freedom, but the family as well — even if it comes with plenty of hard work. And there's still time to enjoy it. Every year, the family hosts the Trekkertrek Family Day on their land — a big day out for all ages that draws visitors from across the region.
Farmers and contractors come for the music, street theatre, bouncy castles, and the latest in agricultural technology — but above all for the main event: the tractor pull competition. It’s a day the whole community looks forward to!
future
The farmhouse, built in 1614, is a designated monument — though now thoughtfully updated for modern times. Solar panels line the rooftops, and a heat recovery system is used to make energy use more sustainable.
With Mark, Koos’s son, the next generation is gradually preparing to take over the farm. Since the farm will eventually be run by one family instead of two, the work will become more intensive. But the family hopes to continue farming on this beautiful spot by the Rhine for many more years to come.
