Beemster cheese facts for kids

Beemster cheese is a delicious, hard cheese from the Netherlands. It's made from the milk of cows that graze on rich grass in a special area called the Beemster polder. A polder is land that used to be under water but was drained to create farmland. The Beemster polder is even four meters (about 13 feet) below sea level!

What makes Beemster cheese so unique? Part of its secret is the special soil where the cows graze. Another part is how it's made: some of the steps, like stirring the cheese curd, are still done by hand. Also, the cheeses are ripened (aged) in special rooms where the temperature and humidity change, giving them their distinct flavor.

The Story of Beemster Cheese

Farming the New Land

The Beemster polder was created in 1612 when the land was drained. This new land was very fertile, perfect for farming and raising dairy cows. For a long time, most farmers made cheese at home and sold their milk and cheese to local traders. But they didn't always like depending on these traders.

Farmers Working Together

In 1901, many dairy farmers decided to team up and start their own groups called cooperatives. A cooperative is when people work together and share the profits. These cooperatives built small cheese factories. One of the first was "Wilhelmina," which opened in 1907.

Later, in 1930, "Wilhelmina" joined with another factory called "De Unie." Together, they formed a new cooperative cheese factory named "De Tijd," which means "The Time."

Growing Bigger and Better

More cooperatives joined over the years. In 1947, "Concordia" and "Ons Belang" came together to form "De Combinatie" ("The Combination"). In 1950, the "Neerlandia" cheese factory also joined. Finally, in 1991, "De Combinatie" joined with "De Vechtstreek" to create the company we know today: CONO Cheesemakers.

The Birth of Beemster Kaas

In the 1970s, there was a lot of competition in the Dutch cheese market. To stand out, CONO introduced "Beemster kaas" (Beemster cheese). They emphasized its special qualities: the hand-stirring of the curd and the unique way it's aged in changing conditions. These traditional methods give Beemster cheese its special taste.

Beemster Today

Today, CONO works with about 475 farmers. It's one of the smaller dairy cooperatives in the Netherlands, but it produces around 30,000 tons of Beemster cheese every year! In 2001, the Queen of the Netherlands even gave CONO the special title "By Appointment to the Court of the Netherlands," which is a great honor.

Beemster cheese is now one of the main attractions of the Beemster area. CONO makes many different types of cheeses, all based on the original Beemster recipe. They also supply milk to the famous ice cream company, Ben & Jerry's, in Europe.