__________________________________________________________________________________________ CONO
Kaasmakers
Up until the early 17th century , the Beemster Polder in the Netherlands had been submerged underwater for a few hundred years . The region had previously been synonymous with peatdigging , which combined with storm floods , had led to a small river that ran through the area bursting its banks , and becoming an inland sea of sorts .
By 1612 , the area had been fully drained , using a network of dykes that was powered by windmills . The city of Amsterdam was growing rapidly at the time and the initiative had been established to secure more farmland to grow crops and vegetables . Today , Beemster Polder is registered as a UNESCO heritage site and home to CONO Kaasmakers ( CONO ), one of the country ’ s leading dairy cooperatives known for its Beemster Cheese .
“ Unfortunately for those who committed years of time and effort to successfully draining the Beemster region , grass was the only thing that could grow on the land ,” explains Jerry Griep , CEO . “ So , cows were introduced , and the rest is history ! Our location on the Polder facilitates one of the driving factors behind the incredible quality of our cheese – our cows graze outside as long as nature allows them to , and the grass itself is rooted in salty sea clay .
“ We sell our cheese in more than 50 countries across the globe , and , although we ’ re always looking for new opportunities , volume is not our main driver . We are only interested in partnerships that focus on winwin outcomes for both parties and that are based on added value . If we ’ re approached by somebody who is merely looking for the lowest price going , we kindly suggest that they search elsewhere .”
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