Texel island of sheep and smart farmers

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Ewe with lamb

Texel in North Holland


Even from the mainland, the Texel island of sheep in the Netherlands arouses curiosity. A detour to the dike between Den Oever and Oosterland in North Holland already gives us a foretaste of what awaits us on the island. From the dike we see our destination in The Netherlands at the horizon. A narrow strip of land interrupts the view of the sea. While we are gathering our first impressions, a ewe is watching us with her lamb. The two leisurely eat the fresh green that grows on the dike. They watch us curiously as we take the first photos of the island. Every now and then a "mah" comes from her lips. Still, it doesn't take long before they get back to eating. Only after a while do they troll and look for tastier pastures. A hint for us to continue our journey.

In the port of Den Helder we finally go on board the ferry. The crossing to Texel Isle of Sheep takes barely twenty minutes. The distances are also short on the island. The journey from the ferry station to Den Burg, the main town on the island, takes only five minutes. Even on this short stretch it becomes clear that agriculture and animal husbandry play a major role here.

 

 

Texel island of sheep
Texel island of sheep

 

Texel island of sheep

“We have a good 13.000 inhabitants on the island, but around 16.000 Sheep“ Arnold confirms to us the next morning. "In the spring there are thousands of lambs." We are on a tour of the island. We can't help but be amazed. Arnold introduced himself to us as a farmer. However, we quickly realize that there is more to its simple facade than meets the eye. He is chairman of the Texel Farmers' Union. At the same time, he owned the luxurious Boutique Hotel Texel, where we spend one night. Today his daughter runs it.

 

Texel fact: Not only the sheep on Texel are called “Texelaars”. This is also what the islanders are called.

 

Arnold in front of a sheep barn
Arnold in front of a sheep barn - Texel Island of Sheep

 

Arnold is also very interested in water management. No wonder, a large part of the island consists of polders. This is land behind the dike below sea level. It is drained by channels that channel the water through or over the dike into the sea. This used to happen with windmills, some of which we see on our tour. Today, this is done with electric pumps.

 

Polder landscape on the dike
Polder landscape on the dike - Texel island of the sheep

 

We also see the first sheep on the polders at Den Burg. Many of them already have lambs. In this pasture we also see one of the sheep barns. They are typical of Texel. The barns look like halved farmhouses. The "cut" side offers the sheep protection from the wind, which is often from the North Sea blowing.

An island that offers everything

"Texel island of sheep - and cows, and agricultural farmers", Arnold laughs as we continue our journey. We are invited to a cattle farmer who wants to show us his self-developed stable. On the way there Arnold tells us that no farmer on the island only breeds sheep or cattle. “A lot is grown here: from seed potatoes to fruit trees to asparagus and wine, we get everything from the island. Even beer is brewed on Texel. "

Texel is Holland in miniature. There is almost nothing to get from the mainland. Instead, the farmers from Texel deliver their products to the mainland. Sheep from Texel are world famous and are even valued in Australia. Anyone who owns a Texel ram for breeding there is proud of it.

Smart farmers on Texel

A cattle breeder with happy cows

We quickly notice that Texel is not just an island of sheep. Smart farmers also live here, who use their home wisely. We see how they do this when we visit a young cattle farmer. He has just finished his new stable that he is showing us. He's proud of it, he developed it himself. He attaches particular importance to the well-being of his cattle. Unlike the cattle sheds that I have known so far, here the cattle run around freely in a large hall. During our visit he is currently receiving help from seasonal workers. His cows' hooves are trimmed.

 

Happy cows on Texel
Happy cows on Texel - the island of Texel Island of sheep, but not only

 

This is done very gently by lifting them in a cradle. After pruning the hooves, they immediately run free through their hall. The milking process is also well thought out. Milk cows must be milked regularly, otherwise the pressure of the milk is unpleasant. In this stable the dairy cows come voluntarily into the automatic milking stations. As soon as the pressure in the udder becomes too great, they voluntarily come to the milking devices, where the milk is milked fully automatically. Happy cows!

I also find it fascinating that the entire farm is run by the farmer alone. He usually works at his farm without helpers. He automated many processes in his stable. So manure and manure are automatically transported to the neighboring building, where it mixes it and produces fertilizer for its fields. A smart farmer!

 

Sheep Barn Texel Island of Sheep
Sheep Barn - Texel Island of Sheep

 

A sheep breeder as an obstetrician

He is not the only resourceful farmer we meet during our visit to Texel. In the afternoon we are guests at the sheep farm of Hans Witte. This possesses about 500 sheep of different races. In the spring there is a lot of activity on his farm. Then the sheep give birth to their lambs. There are about a thousand per season. Some species do this on the pastures. In more sensitive species, he brings the pregnant ewe into the yard, where the lambs spend the first weeks of their lives protected from the elements.

First, he leads us to an enclosure. There he fetches his three shepherd dogs, who in no time drive up a herd of sheep. On request, the dogs carry out every order that the sheep farmer has trained them to do. A fascinating spectacle!

But even more exciting is the birth of twin sheep in the stable. While some visitors still with Lammetjes knuffle - cuddling with lambs - are busy, Hans explains why the ewes are brought into the stable. Suddenly he interrupts his lecture and pulls one of the sheep mothers over to him. “She's about to get her lamb,” he explains with a quick glance to us. But then his gaze focuses on the pregnant ewe. With a few simple steps he ensures that the birth goes smoothly, and in no time the new inhabitant of the earth is lying in front of us in the hay.

 

Texeler cheese
Texel cheese - a typical product from Texel, the island of sheep

 

Delicious cheese from Texel sheep, goats and cattle

The milk from Texel sheep, goats and cattle is processed into delicious cheese by Anton Witte in his cheese factory Wezenspyk in Den Burg. He is quite inventive in the production. He spices his cheeses with mustard seeds, salted nuts, herbs and fenugreek. If you want, you can take part in a guided tour of the cheese dairy. Such is offered from Tuesday to Friday at 14.00 clock. With subsequent tasting! If you do not have the time, you can watch the cheese maker through a glass pane during the manufacturing process. In the shop you can buy the award-winning cheeses fresh. Or you can try it at the Hofcafé.

 

Cheese from Texel
Cheese from Texel

 

Woolness at Boutique Hotel Texel

During our two-day stay on the island, we saw in an impressive way that Texel is the island of sheep and smart farmers. This definitely makes the island a great travel destination for connoisseurs. After all, this offers a very special highlight Boutique Hotel Texel *, where we spend a night. In a cozy wooden hut in the garden of the hotel you can experience a very special wellness treatment. There you will be wrapped in natural sheep's wool. This contains lanolin. If you rub natural wool between your fingers, you quickly notice that it contains fat. This fat is good for the skin. After a Woolness treatment, the skin becomes very soft. Petar tested it and still raves about the pleasant warmth that made him drift away quickly.

 

Sleeping among sheep or Woolness - Texel island of the sheep
Texel Isle of Sheep - Sleeping among sheep or woolness

 

The Texelans know how to use their products and are very inventive. A sympathetic people, which makes the stay on Texel an exciting experience.

Do you like traveling to Texel Island of Sheep in a motorhome?

Texel campsite

There are several campsites on Texel:

 

 


Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Arrival to Texel Island of Sheep

Arrival by plane, bus or train*. KLM and Lufthansa will follow Amsterdam. From there you can take the train and bus to the ferry station in Den Helder. We traveled by car to Den Helder and from there we took the ferry to the island. Would you like to take more time to get here? Then we recommend a combination with one Road trip through the Hanseatic cities in Holland.

Car Rentals:

Cheap Car Hire - Book Fast and Easy! *

Sheep farm (Schapenboerderij)

Pontweg 77
Den Burg
Tel. 06 44926046

Sheep farm and cheese factory Wezenspyk

Hoornderweg 29
Den Burg

Accommodation on Texel Island of Sheep:

Hotels, apartments and other accommodation on Texel * You can also book through our partner booking.com at this link.

 

Texel Holidays Texel Island of Sheep
Click on the photo and make a note of “Texel Holidays” on Pinterest

 

Do you already know:

 

Source for Texel Island of the Sheep: own research on site. We also thank the VVV Texel and forvision for the friendly support of this trip. Our opinion, however, remains our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline

Texel island of sheep and smart farmers

Monika Fuchs

Monika Fuchs and Petar Fuchs are the authors and publishers of the Food and Slow Travel blog  TravelWorldOnline. They have been publishing this blog since 2005. TravelWorldOnline has been online since 2001. Their topics are trips to Savor, wine tourism worldwide and slow travel. During her studies Monika Fuchs spent some time in North America, where she - partly together with Petar Fuchs - traveled to the USA and Canada and spent a research year in British Columbia. This intensified her thirst for knowledge, which she satisfied for 6 years as an adventure guide for Rotel Tours and then for 11 years as a tour guide for Studiosus Reisen around the world. She was constantly expanding her travel regions, but curiosity still gnawed at her: "What's beyond the horizon? What else is there to discover in this city? Which people are interesting here? What do they eat in this region?" As a freelance travel journalist (her articles have appeared in DIE ZEIT, 360° Canada, 360° USA, etc.), she is now looking for answers to these questions as a travel writer and travel blogger in many countries around the world. Petar Fuchs produces the videos on this blog as well as on YouTube. Monika Fuchs from TravelWorldOnline is among Germany's top 50 bloggers in 2021. Find more Information about Monika and Petar Fuchs here.