Dutch Shepherdess on the Heath
"Each morning we take our 600 Drenthe Heath Sheep, the oldest European breed, out onto the balloërveld (heathland) to graze, as farmers have done before us since the middle ages in this northeastern corner of The Netherlands. While industrial farming, hypermarkets and chain restaurants are increasingly the norm, we are quietly continuing a tradition that gives us and those who visit us great deal of pleasure, is important to the local environment, and is helping to revive a rare breed that provides a delicious, organic meat to the local market.
My life took a turn down the slow road when I met my partner Albert while walking out on this heathland. Following a short career with the military police, Albert took to shepherding 26 years ago and is now one of the key breeders of the Drenthe. I am a visual artist, but soon after we met I had soon donned a crook and learnt the tricks of the shepherding trade, and we now share the work between us.
Every day of the year, Albert or I take the sheep out of the barn and across the road onto the heath, carrying a light lunch and water with us and returning in the late afternoon. We work with the dogs to keep the flock together, and if the weather is fine, the hours pass by very peacefully. Sometimes I read, or draw in my sketchbook, but often I just let my mind wander in this fascinating landscape which displays its rich history proudly: mounds of earth and stones mark ancient Neanderthal burial grounds, and the remnants of the Celtic agricultural fields which once covered the area.
When it comes to selling our product, we initially had some difficulty, as our sheep are much smaller than what butchers are used to working with and the market doesn’t adjust easily. However, the meat is sought after for its tenderness and its wild, herbal flavor and we fortunately developed a great relationship with one butcher Rob Rijkes who buys directly from specialist breeders. Rijkes not only sells the various cuts, but also makes wonderful lamb salami, flavored with garlic, tomato or flowers from the heathland. The meat is becoming well known around the country, and the organic certification approved last year has further increased interest.
In addition to the income from meat, the government subsidizes us to graze the heathland, as the sheep’s presence plays an important role in the local ecology. As is stipulated by the conservation management authority, we graze one sheep per acre. All the local shepherds are working hand in had with conservation authorities to manage the heathland ecosystem appropriately.
Only a very few regions still have shepherds in the Netherlands, such as the Kempen in the southeast, and many people in the west of the country have never experienced this kind of farming. Thus, we decided to also provide some recreational and educational opportunities, opening this experience to a whole range of people and bringing a whole new life and aspect to our farm.
I regularly take groups of people with me out on the heath, for a ‘shepherding’ experience. We also rent the barn as an alternative meeting location, with participants shedding their ties and high heels for a morning conference on hay bales and an afternoon out with the sheep. In March, lambing day is celebrated with a birthing festival that attracts around 2000 people to the farm and our Christmas festival attracts up to 6000. We also participate in local Slow Food events, and in a few months times we will start an educational center in the sheepfold, which will include information on Presidia and Slow Food.
We have developed a wonderful community of supporters for the local Drenthe sheep breed locally, that extends nationally and internationally to the Slow Food and Terra Madre networks, and I have been fortunate to participate in the international meetings in 2006 and 2008."
Marianne Duinkerken
m.w.duinkerken@hotmail.com
www.herdersvanballoo.nl
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