Marcel and Ingrid Backx both grew up on dairy farms in the Netherlands and their passion for farming was passed on from their parents and grandparents
“My parents Louis and Jeanette farmed there for 50 years milking goats. I was born there on the farm” adds Ingrid. “We started farming on Marcel’s home farm, which is along a creek called the Mark. Our farm name there was Markhoeve and we have taken this name with us as we moved from one farm to another in Ontario” adds Ingrid.
Because the Netherlands is a small country farming was difficult for them there. “We made a difficult decision to leave our home country and in 2009 we moved to a small dairy farm, with about 35 head of cattle, close to Listowel. After a few years we moved to Waterford and we have spent the last eight years making this farm our own”. The farm they purchased was once owned by Gary and Stella Watts and was widely known for its maple syrup and pancake house. The ‘bones’ were there for their operation and just needed a little ‘tweeking’ to make the former pancake house the home of their new endeavour – Markhoeve Dairy – at 108 Conc. 11, Waterford.
The farm houses about 150 head of cattle from young calves to milking cows. “We got rid of the bulls and do artificial insemination through farmer owned EastGen” adds Marcel. “Like humans, cattle are pregnant for 9 months. They’re bottle fed their first milk that has a high-quality colostrum. They have a better chance of getting enough antibodies than what they might get if they are left to nurse from mom” adds Marcel.
Like a small community of people, the cattle have their specific ‘homes’ depending on age, gender, size and purpose. After 1 day young cows are separated from Mom and moved to a separate barn for the next 6 to 8 months. It’s quite the operation and seems to run pretty much like clock work. There are currently about 150 head of cattle in their barns including about 65 Holsteins and at the moment 10 Jersey…all for milking.
The Backx family do everything necessary to ensure that their herd is getting the best of food. “We don’t grow GMO corn – Genetically Modified Corn – because it is ‘changed’ by humans. We choose to use corn produced by Mother Nature as it is healthier for the animals. We also never buy any fertilizer. We ‘make’ our own fertilizer…we add bacteria to the cattle waste to keep the nitrogen level up” adds Marcel.
The family has been busy converting the former Pancake House to a shiny, new facility for their new venture of selling their dairy products. When completely up and running and all tests completed and passed, they will be offering a number of dairy products. “We’re going to be starting with bottled pasteurized but unhomogenized (the cream rises to the top) 4% fat milk and go from there. We’ve done a half batch of milk, about 250 litres, that we have stored in our new cooler. It just needs to be shaken before use to mix the cream in.” adds Ingrid. “It’s been quite a process to get our facility and equipment - some stainless steel and some plastic -approved as there are high cleaning standards to be met for the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, OMAFRA and Norfolk County. We are also subject to inspections 4 times a year” adds Ingrid.
“As we go along, we will be producing not only milk but Greek yogurt, soft cheese and Quark. In Europe many eat Quark with granola because it is high in proteins and fats and it is especially good for athletes. From there we will most likely move on to other products”.
At a time when so many are sourcing out alternate choices for healthier eating the new Markhoeve Dairy is sure to be popular and attract new visitors to our area. Congratulations and good luck to guys!!