Sheep farmer Jan Willem Bakker from Hoge Berg on Texel is looking for support. Proud as he is of his island, he draws attention to the preservation of the typical Texel landscape: sheep, lambs and garden walls. Bakker also tries to benefit from tourism, but in his own way. No mass tourism: “No merry-go-round here, but a farmer who proudly walks among his animals.”
Cheerful bleating in the meadow at the Hoge Berg. And happy faces with a family from Katwijk. They have been coming to Texel for years and know exactly where the first lambs go to pasture every year. “That makes me very proud,” says sheep farmer Jan Willem Bakker. But it doesn’t happen by itself: “For a lot of people it seems obvious that this image is there, but I want to emphasize that this is not the case.”
Decor
Bakker organizes sheep walks with tourists. Because the Hoge Berg, as a protected area, is excluded from hotels and campsites, it still tries to benefit from tourism in order to keep its head above water. He points to the lambs, the garden walls and the sheep shed. “This is a decor that we all enjoy immensely and that says something about our identity.”
Text continues below the video.
Sheep farmer Jan Willem Bakker does his best to preserve the typical Texel landscape. – NH News / Jurgen van den Bos
Bakker does his utmost to maintain the typical Texel decor, but he says he can no longer manage alone. He therefore seeks support from the municipality and entrepreneurs. “They use the image of the Hoge Berg as a promotion for the island. People come to the farm to join a round of feeding and pay for it, but there is an enormous amount of work involved. Payments for the preservation of this landscape only go but backwards.”
Choice
Bakker doubts that it is also his own choice: “A choice of mine or everyone’s? Well, if we choose that the farmer has to keep his own pants, then I will struggle for a while and keep a flock of sheep, because I I’m so crazy about it. But then it stops. Then the sheep won’t walk here anymore and then we say: Fortunately, we still have the photos.”
NH360 about tourism on Texel
Has Texel reached the limit of tourism? NH hopes to receive an answer to this. The stories come from all sides: 360 degrees.
From 28 February to 3 March NH will move part of the editorial team to Den Burg. This week we can be found daily in the Glass Palace.
Do you want to join the conversation? Everyone is welcome to come and share their story with us. You can also just take a look. Our editorial staff can be found from tomorrow in the Glass Palace, located in the Wezentuin park in Den Burg.
All stories that are made from Texel can be recognized by the NH 360º design above the articles. A collection of the stories can be found at nhnieuws.nl/360texel.
Read also
Download the app
? Stay informed of news from your region, download the free NH News app.
