Time flies! While the last cold days pass by in the Netherlands, we are already focusing on spring and are currently delivering the potatoes from our shed. Three trucks full of potatoes are delivered to the stores every day, the onions are also delivered so the storage shed will soon be completely empty. Meanwhile, we are starting again with the new planting season and expect to sow the sugar beet by the end of this week.
In the meantime we are busy at the Bed & Breakfast with bookings and preparations for the tulip route Flevoland 2018. This year, again, the opening will take place at De Kandelaar. On Saturday, 14th April there will be a tulip market from 10:00am to 4:00pm, where various companies from the region will promote their products and services. At 10:30am the official opening of all the tulip routes in Flevoland takes place. This year, 4 car routes, 4 cycle routes and a walking route are planned for three weeks, from 14th April to 5th May.
Our location is on the car route ‘Lelystad’ and cycle route ‘Lelystad’. However, the routes in Dronten and Zeewolde are easy to drive from our location. In short, plenty of opportunities to admire the many beautiful fields and visit the companies that organize an activity. More information and the routes can be found on www.tulpenrouteflevoland.nl
In addition to the Tulip market on 14th April, we will have an exhibition about tulip cultivation from that day until 5th May. On the basis of photos, more explanation is given about the cultivation of tulips. Ed Voigt will also exhibit on 100 years of Zuiderzee (the South Sea) law and Ir. Lely.
We welcome you from 14th April to 5th May between 10:00am to 4:00pm – every day.
A warm, growing summer
/in NewsDuring the second “heat wave” I wrote this new message from De Kandelaar. In Flevoland we also reached temperatures of 39C. Fortunately it remained 10 degrees cooler in the stables with the help of two large fans and a small sprayer. The cows remained calm hence milk production has remained equal.
With the showers from time to time we have been able to cut the grass for the 5th time this week (normally half is the standard). In the meantime, the grass seed harvest is more than a month ago and we now wait for the month of September (removed comer) when we will harvest corn, potatoes and onions.
Today we made a start on the construction of a new path to reach our fields better; a nice smooth concrete path which will soon be used to bring in the harvest..
This week we were also mentioned in the local newspaper ‘Flevopost’ with an article written by Flow Media about our guests who have been staying with us each year during the Lowlands for more than 10 years. You can read the article from Flevopost.
Finally a photo of our young kittens; Nala, Simba and Sarabi were born on 4th August.
Tulip route Flevoland approaching kickoff!
/in NewsPreparations for the 2019 Tulip route Flevoland are being finalized. The opening will take place at Bed & Breakfast De Kandelaar on Saturday 13 April. From 10:00am everybody is welcome and the official opening will be performed by representatives of the municipality of Dronten, Lelystad and Zeewolde at around 10:30am.
At the opening there will also be the Tulip Market where you can gain information on the cultivation of tulips or this year’s tulip routes (walk, bike or car) or the Floriade. As part of the Golden Age theme Batavialand will show and promote the foundation’s preservation and commercial operation of the heritage park that represents, describes and exhibits the history and characteristics of the Netherlands, living on the boundary between land and water, with old crafts. Or you can take a selfie with the Golden tractor of Team Agro, Polderzoom will showcase and sell their cheeses from the region, IJsbrouwers will cater with their homemade icecream and Vaya Con Dios perform their music. In addition, there are appealing and alluring tulip gadgets available, from tulip umbrellas to tulip shopping bags and tea made from tulips. The Tulip Market is open until 5:00pm.
Into the new year!
/in News2018 was a year which brought much uncertainty for dairy farms. We monitored the news regarding Phosphate Regulations with trepidation.
2018 was also a year of extreme drought across much of Europe. Fortunately the soil on the farm is heavily clay based with water retaining properties and therefore not as susceptible to drought conditions. However, with the drought conditions in mind we did try a few things a little differently than in previous years:
Sustainable farming and living is something we pride ourselves on. In a bid to contribute more to sustainability, we decided to install Solar Panels onto our farm buildings’ roofs. As a result our homes now use and produce only green energy.
Tourist season starts
/in NewsDue to the changing, sometimes extremely hot weather, the flowering time of the tulips was short this year and the tulip routes have now finished. Yet many people from home and abroad, even as far as from India and Thailand, have visited us. They took a look at the tulip fields, watched the film about tulip cultivation and educated themselves about 100 years of Zuiderzee law.
On the land a lot has been done, such as the corn, sugar beet and onions are sown. The potatoes have been planted and the ‘backs’ have been milled. The first cut of grass has been mowed and the grassland is manured, so hopefully we can cut the second cut of grass in 4 weeks.
Meanwhile, we continue to receive guests at our Bed & Breakfast. Either for a visit to one of the entertainment parks in the area such as Walibi, Dolfinarium (Sea World) or Aviodrome or to go shopping in Batavia Stad. We also have guest stay, who work or train in the close vicinity of our B&B.
Finally, on 26 April, we organised a surprise party for Jos & Maria (the original owners of De Kandelaar) to celebrate 50 years of marriage. With family and many friends we had turned it into a beautiful party, which we all enjoyed leaving us with fond memories.
Opening Tulip Routes Flevoland 2018
/in NewsTime flies! While the last cold days pass by in the Netherlands, we are already focusing on spring and are currently delivering the potatoes from our shed. Three trucks full of potatoes are delivered to the stores every day, the onions are also delivered so the storage shed will soon be completely empty. Meanwhile, we are starting again with the new planting season and expect to sow the sugar beet by the end of this week.
In the meantime we are busy at the Bed & Breakfast with bookings and preparations for the tulip route Flevoland 2018. This year, again, the opening will take place at De Kandelaar. On Saturday, 14th April there will be a tulip market from 10:00am to 4:00pm, where various companies from the region will promote their products and services. At 10:30am the official opening of all the tulip routes in Flevoland takes place. This year, 4 car routes, 4 cycle routes and a walking route are planned for three weeks, from 14th April to 5th May.
Our location is on the car route ‘Lelystad’ and cycle route ‘Lelystad’. However, the routes in Dronten and Zeewolde are easy to drive from our location. In short, plenty of opportunities to admire the many beautiful fields and visit the companies that organize an activity. More information and the routes can be found on www.tulpenrouteflevoland.nl
In addition to the Tulip market on 14th April, we will have an exhibition about tulip cultivation from that day until 5th May. On the basis of photos, more explanation is given about the cultivation of tulips. Ed Voigt will also exhibit on 100 years of Zuiderzee (the South Sea) law and Ir. Lely.
We welcome you from 14th April to 5th May between 10:00am to 4:00pm – every day.
Into the new season!
/in NewsAnd here is another year and right now with lovely crisp winter weather. It is very important for the land that we get a good frost so the land can be better processed in spring. The frost contributes to reducing nuisance pests that usually pop up in spring. Plus of course, being Dutch, we fully enjoy the wintry pictures and the skating!
In the stables we are currently testing a JOZ feed slide. In collaboration with JOZ we are looking at the digestion of food in the cows. It’s also very nice to see that their feed always lies neatly within the range of the cows. Currently the general farm work consists mostly of maintenance to the many machines and the occasional repair to the stables.
In addition, it is now time for attending meetings and seminars. Marc and Joris have attended a course to gain their spraying license and Natasha and Mariska have followed their compulsary refresher BHV-course.
We are in full preparation with the upcoming tourist season, in particular the Tulip Routes. On Saturday 15th April, the opening of the Tulip Routes takes place at De Kandelaar. On this day, there are several companies present from the area to showcase their products and activities at a local market. Depending on the weather and the bulbs we should be able to admire the many blooming tulip fields in our area. It is expected that the fields will be in bloom until mid-May.
Company Report DeLaval
/in NewsThere it is, nearly another summer gone and we are finally enjoying a beautiful but late summer. The colours at dawn and dusk are such a beautiful event at De Kandelaar. Over the summer DeLaval has filmed a superb documentary about the Voluntary Milking System which we have been using for over 16 years. There is an interesting interview with Dad and Joris about their experiences with the milking robot. See the full report via this link. In addition, Bert Rijk has also taken some stunning aerial pictures with his drone.
Meanwhile, the fifth cut of grass was mowed and last week our contractor Frens from Hulshort had chopped the corn. The yield was less than previous years, but the product seems to be of excellent quality. We have to wait a little longer for the delicious potatoes that we use for fries to be harvested but the onions will be harvested this month. Bulb company Fa. de Wit is already busy with preparations for the planting of the new tulip bulbs. Next year, in cooperation with Tulips Route Dronten, we will yet again create walking, cycling and car routes along the tulip fields.
During this year we have received lots of different nationalities in our Bed and Breakfast, from the Netherlands to Japan. Next month, many visitors will be staying at the B&B who have booked the special deal “one night at the B&B and entry to Walibi Fright Night”. If you would like to visit please book quickly because full is full.
The tulip routes have opened.
/in NewsLast Saturday in Hanneke’s picking garden the tulip routes in the area of Dronten have been opened.
Bed & Breakfast “De Kandelaar” is the starting point of the car and bike trail for all the Dronten tulip routes.
Saturday 23rd April, an Open Day has been organised at “De Kandelaar”. During the day you can take a closer look at the workings of a modern farm where cows are milked by a robot (DeLaval) . You can also see the variety of machines that are required for planting, caring and harvesting the tulip bulbs. A special “Meet & Greet” has been organised with tulip grower Wim Klink. For the children and creative people Jolanda Noome of Jono Creatief will run a few small workshops for various ideas on what you can do with tulips. There will also be coffee and tea at the Bed & Breakfast where the owners will tell you about their farm and the B&B.
You are welcome Saturday 23rd April from 13:00 to 17:00.
A new season… tulips!
/in NewsAfter a moderate winter with few cold days we are getting ready for the new season. We are waiting for drier times but slowly the country will be worked again.
Saturday 16th April is the opening of the various routes. However, that of course is dependent on Mother Nature if the tulips will be in full bloom. On April 23, we have arranged a special Tulip Open Day. During the day you can have a look at our farm and you can admire some of the machines that are used to cultivate tulip bulbs.
More information can be found on our website or follow www.tulpenroutedronten.nl or “Tulips Route Dronten” on Facebook.
In recent months we have been busy.
/in NewsThere was a pause in the news but there was a reason, we have been extremely busy! In September the last of the asbestos was removed from the barn and then solar panels were installed. Not only on the large barn, but also on the roofs of the potatoe barn and cattle shed. In total, nearly 900 solar panels have been placed on the various roofs. On a sunny day we will yield approximately more than 1000 Kwh. Much more than we consume in a day, i.e. at De Kandelaar we contribute to the environment by using green energy and giving back to the grid.
The cattle shed has been widened by 6 metres, where a beautiful space has now been created for resting/dry cows (the dry period is an important resting period for the dairy cow, where fresh udder tissue is formed in readiness for the lactation, and it provides an important opportunity to rid the udder of many potential pathogens that can cause mastitis). There is now ample space for all cows to stay in good shape. We also now have a large loft where the cows have plenty of space to wean off their calves, plus the cubicles around the milking robots are now fully operational by the lactating cows.
Meanwhile, we have also had a busy period with working the land. Due to the cold and wet autumn, the harvest took place mainly in October; harvesting corn, potatoes and part of the sugar beet. In early November the tulip bulbs were planted again by the White Company in Bovenkarspel and we then also cleared the last of the sugar beet. Following the harvest and planting, the arable land was plowed and is now ready for the winter – let the snow and frost come.
Finally, thanks to VWA Dronten. We also have been working hard to create the new website and here is the result. The website is now also available on the iPad and the smartphone.