History
History
The Tæru site used to be called Ferme De Blier. On this farm, Jacques Quirynen raised cows and grew crops. The former owner is still around: he lives further down the street now, and we’ve inspired him to switch to organic farming.
Organic farming
There’s still quite a bit of farming going on at what used to be Ferme De Blier. In the fields surrounding Tæru, oats, spelt and other grain crops are grown organically. The 72 trees in the adjacent meadow are used for organic fruit farming.
From the farmyard to the valley, you’ll see sheep roaming around. The big hangar on the site still serves for storing grain after the yearly harvest.
Jaques Quirynen
If you see a small, wiry man with grey hair and a spring in his step, you’re no doubt in the company of Jacques, the former owner of the farm. He still drops by every day (as does his cat, Gris) and though he may seem in a hurry: don’t hesitate to go and chat with him. He’ll be happy to walk you through the history of Ferme De Blier. Jacques was born on the farm (“on the kitchen table”, he likes to say) and he used to be quite the inventor.
He came up with a treadmill for his beloved Holstein cows, which he let roam outside from April to November and even took to bovine beauty pageants.
-
Jaques and Dirk -
A taste of plant-based?
The farm that used to be devoted to cows has now been revamped by an athlete who swears by plant-based nutrition. That’s quite something … Even though he himself still likes the occasional milk and cheese binge, Jacques confesses to having a lot of sympathy for Dirk’s lifestyle: “I’m even starting to appreciate his vegan food. Not bad for a milkman, huh? (laughs)”
