My husband is a farmer — we took over the farm from his parents, who now live in a nice annex near the retirement home in the village. The business hadn't been doing well for years, and I was quite worried. It's genuinely hard to keep a farm running these days, and that was especially hard on my husband; it's not just his job, it's half his life.
At some point we realised we'd have to expand what we did if we wanted to keep living here. Our farm sits beautifully in the countryside, and once the municipality built a cycle path near us and the tourist office routed walking and cycling trails past our house, we decided to do something with that. My husband kept farming; I started a small family campsite.
It's almost certain my campsite will expand and eventually take over from the farming. I enjoy it enormously, and business is going very well.
More and more people from the west of the country are coming here for a weekend away — something special, something relaxed, away from the rush of Amsterdam and the Randstad. People come mainly for the peace, the quiet, the space, but they want to be active too, and we benefit from that — there are more things to do here than before. A tea garden nearby has been doing very well for a few years now; maybe I'll start a small restaurant myself one day.
For my children, I think it's good that old traditions are being revived, and older people appreciate it too — it keeps them more involved in the community, even if they complain about the crowds sometimes. I'm proud that I'm from the Achterhoek, and that people from what used to be seen as "the west" come all this way to enjoy a region that still honours its traditions.
We do have to watch that it doesn't become too much. I shop at different times now during high season, and sometimes I just drive into the city instead, because it's genuinely not fun here when it's busy — people have all the time in the world, and I just want to grab a few groceries. Prices have gone up too, with so many new people shopping here from the holiday homes and campsites. But if that's the only downside — it's still very good.
A farm that was fading is now, almost by accident, becoming something else entirely.