Bite: Father’s Day on the Farm

Families are invited to spend their Sunday morning in the countryside, often in the company of one or more four-legged beings, and tuck into farm-fresh products. Depending on the farm, this could mean Dad is in for some cheese and yoghurt, bacon and eggs, breads and pastries, jams, juices and more.

All 16 farms have something unique to offer, but some stand out for their most prized product or special Father’s Day activity. In West Flanders: Den IJsbeer, a dairy farm in Meulebeke, is worth visiting for its scrummy ice cream cakes alone. IJshoeve d’Hooghe Scheure in Harelbeke, meanwhile, offers ice cream and carriage rides among the cows.

For its Father’s Day breakfast, Het Warandehof in Alveringem, a root vegetable farm specialising in rhubarb, will bake its own bread in a wood-burning oven. Pick your own raspberries and strawberries at ’t Goed ter Heule in Menen, or come early to see the cows getting milked at ’t Motehof in Hooglede.

In East Flanders, meanwhile, the farmer running Hof ter Motte in Nevele takes families on a tour of his collection of pigs and laying hens. At Kruidenkwekerij Claus in Kruishoutem, take Dad to visit a greenhouse instead of a farm, and enjoy an aromatic breakfast surrounded by row upon row of various types of herbs.

Visit the goats and taste their cheese at ’t Eikenhof in Lokeren, or pet some lambs at Ter Paddepoele dairy and sheep farm in Maldegem. Learn everything there is to know about leeks at Ons Dagelijks Groen in Aalst or play a round of "farmer's golf" with Dad at Valleihoeve, a dairy farm in Huise that also happens to serve up fresh ice cream and homemade desserts.  

To put your dad in the spotlight, contact the farm of your choice before 30 May; the number of participants is limited. The full list of participating farms can be found on the website.

Photo: Kruidenkwekerij Claus in Kruishoutem