This Dutch Cheesemaker is Making Sustainability Taste Very Gouda
Happy cows = happy cheese.
In Partnership with
We've teamed up with our pals at Artikaas to shine a spotlight on sustainability in Dutch cheesemaking, from eco-friendly dairy practices to harnessing the flavor of each season in their cheeses.
When someone mentions the Netherlands, your mind may go to tulip fields, windmills, or wooden shoes. Maybe you think of canals and bikes, or perhaps Van Gogh. “Going Dutch” has long been synonymous with splitting a tab among friends. But since at least the 12th century, going Dutch has also meant a deep connection to the land—and a cheesemaking tradition squarely rooted in environmental stewardship.
For over 2,000 years, dairy farmers in the Netherlands have maintained an enduring commitment to traditional methods that put animal and land welfare at the forefront of crafting delicious cheese. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the work of Artikaas, who’ve been crafting Gouda for six generations. This company is the joint effort of the Bouter and Anker families, who got their respective starts in cheesemaking in 1890 and 1963. Since joining forces in 2010, they’ve shared over 21 million pounds of Gouda with cheese lovers worldwide. They’ve instilled a sense of responsibility for their land, animals, and community into every wheel—a value that’s been synonymous with Dutch cheesemaking since day one.
“We’re deeply grateful for the sustainable and socially responsible traditions that have guided us,” says Jessica Frey, Marketing Director at Dutch Cheese Makers. “By following in their footsteps, we are helping conserve the fertile lands and family farms for generations.”
Gouda Goes Green
It all starts with the grass. The Netherlands is known for its intricate waterways. Dams, dikes, and canals stripe these reclaimed marshy lowlands, and no matter the time of year, it could always rain. Dutch Holstein-Frieisian dairy cows convert the grass from that world-class pastureland into milk with unparalleled efficiency, and the Artikaas farmers treat them like queens. The cows summer outside, munching on grass all day, then rest in well-ventilated barns where fresh air and sunlight abound. These cows also produce milk that’s naturally non-GMO, rBST hormone- and antibiotic-free.
Several of the farmers that Artikaas partners with are also embracing green-minded technological advancements like solar panels, automatic milkers, and wellness trackers, the latter of which keep tabs on the needs of their animals. More than 70 percent of Artikaas farmers use a tool called KoeKompas (CowCompass—essentially a cow FitBit) that helps them monitor each animal’s wellbeing. There's also a system that lets cows decide when they want to be milked that's currently in use on a quarter of the Artikaas farms (a number they expect to double in the next decade).
The Kaasboerderij Verweij Farmstead, responsible for Artikaas’s Lavender and Thyme Raw Milk Gouda, produces enough solar energy to power their entire operation. And they only use 25 percent of what they generate, feeding the rest (enough to power 300 houses) back into the grid. At the Artikaas factory in Heerenveen, nearly 6,000 solar panels power cheese production while heat pump installations enable them to produce certain cheeses without using any gas at all. They reuse two million tons of whey water (as pediatric, maternal, and sports medicine products, or to clean their facilities) and recycle 92 percent of the heat released during production—all of which decreases their overall energy use, waste, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Sharing The Land
Beyond the numbers and percentages, Artikaas also takes a holistic approach to respecting the land they make use of—land that preceded them, and that they hope will outlast them. “The opportunity to improve biodiversity is right under our feet,” Frey says. “Dairy pastures can be great places to live for insects, birds, and small mammals.” They advise their farmers on caring for swallows, hedgehogs, and owls, all of whom are known to take up residence in barns and play important roles in the ecosystem surrounding the farms.
In this way, Artikaas farmers and cheesemakers draw inspiration from their ancestors—the original environmentalists, who paved the way for sustainable cheesemaking—while also looking to the future. They’ve paved the way for sustainable cheesemaking without sacrificing quality, from their innovative First Milk Gouda that embodies spring’s young grasses to raw milk wheels made using solar power energy. But they also craft classic, salty-sweet and nutty aged Goudas that are deeply grounded in the traditions of their lush landscape. On your plate, all of this translates into cheese you can feel good about eating—read on for a few of our faves (plus ideas on how to use them in your kitchen).
Meet Their Cheeses
Youngster First Milk Gouda
After wintering inside, cows get their first taste of tender new grasses and spring wildflowers packed with vitamins and minerals. This lush feed translates to extra rich, flavorful milk and especially creamy cheese, perfect for melting. Try it on this Best Uitsmijter (a Dutch breakfast sandwich made with ham, egg, and Gouda).
Youngsters Goat Gouda
This tangy 100 percent goat’s milk Gouda begins with a dedicated cooperative of dairy farmers that are hyper-focused on the welfare of their goats, and on maintaining sustainable and eco-friendly methods. The result is lively and creamy—perfect for satisfying your snack cravings.
Hay There Raw Milk Gouda With Truffle
The Artikaas farmstead partners raise their own cows and craft their own raw milk cheeses entirely on their farms. The Van Blokland Farm in Biddinghuizen is one such partner, responsible for this cheese that’s made with the milk of 170 cows who spend their days grazing the fertile hills of Holland’s Flevoland. The delicate mushrooms that flavor this cheese are sniffed out by truffle dogs and harvested entirely by hand—no machines involved.
Vintage Lot-60 Gouda
These extra-aged wheels spend five years on pinewood shelves sourced from sustainable Scandinavian forest operations, which absorb moisture and can be reused several times. The quintessential aged Gouda, it has rich, deep butterscotch flavors and a salty, crystalline structure that crackles like candy and should be added to all your cheese boards.
Our friends at Artikaas are committed to the art of cheese—namely the wheels of sustainably-made Dutch Gouda they've been churning out for six generations. They share their passion for responsible land stewardship, thoughtful animal care, and innovative cheesemaking through their impressive assortment of cheese, from zippy Youngsters Chimichurri Gouda to nutty Vintage Lot 18 and beyond. Find out more about the art of Gouda here.
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