12 September 2023

Living Heritage on the Farm

No FarmCamps farm is the same. Every farm has something special, like FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde , where nature-in clusive farming is highly valued. Farming within the boundaries of nature is what this means. Biodiversity and the diversity and prosperity of animals and plants are the priorities on this farm.

Living Heritage

Frank and Eva from Hoeve Luyterheyde have taken it a step further. Since they value animal diversity, they’ve chosen to keep as many rare animal breeds as possible on their farm. This is known as “living heritage.” This includes all 'rare agricultural livestock breeds of Dutch origin.' These breeds not only must have Dutch origins but also possess unique traits and a rare status. This means that there are relatively few of these animals in the Netherlands.

Red-White Cattle

At FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde, a unique breed of cattle lives: a herd of Red-White Cattle, to be precise. Eva shares: "Because we practice circular farming on our farm, meaning we try to follow nature as closely as possible, we consciously chose the Red-White breed. These cows are very robust and have good natural resistance to diseases. This makes them ideal for nature grazing, and they can always stay outside in our Dutch climate. They're also fertile, calve easily on their own, and have excellent mothering traits. They are very calm and friendly animals, both towards each other and humans. The fact that our choice of this breed also has significant cultural and historical value appeals to us greatly. We are contributing to preserving this beautiful breed."

In addition to the Red-White Cattle, the farm also houses a Groninger horse, Texel sheep, Bentheimer pigs, Barnevelder chickens, Chaamse hens, and Leghorns.

Eva: "Alongside the Red-White Cattle, we have gathered other special animal species, like our pigs, horse, and chickens. It's so rewarding to contribute to preserving these rare breeds. Currently, we only breed with our herd of Red-White Cattle."

Would you like to learn more about these special animals? Come stay at FarmCamps Hoeve Luyterheyde . Farmer Eva and Farmer Frank would be happy to tell you all about caring for their unique farm animals.

Eva: "Our cows are outside 365 days a year and calve in the meadow. It’s a real herd; they protect each other and their young. This is different from cows in a barn, which are often standing at a feed rack. At our farm, you can only observe the cows in the meadow and walk among them, where you can see the animals in their natural environment."

Inspired?

The preservation of rare animal species is not only possible for farms like Hoeve Luyterheyde; as a family, you can also adopt a rare dog breed. The Foundation for Rare Domestic Animal Breeds (SZH) is actively involved in preserving these rare animals. Visit SZH's website for more information about keeping rare pets.

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Farm life is this much fun

At FarmCamps, it’s all about being outdoors, cuddling the animals and enjoying time together. There’s always something happening on our farms, from milking cows to horse riding and roasting marshmallows by the campfire. See how much fun farm life can be!

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