Bergerie d'Acremont

Bergerie d’Acremont is a family-run sheep farm in Acremont, in Belgium’s Luxembourg province, operated by Peter and Barbara De Cock-Vissenaekens. The farm began in 1999 with a small flock of Belgian dairy sheep and has grown to around 250 ewes. The business combines milk production, on-farm cheesemaking, direct sales, farm visits, and rural hospitality. It positions itself around artisanal sheep’s milk products made from locally sourced feed, with a strong emphasis on short supply chains and a close connection between the farm, its animals, and its customers. Key Offerings Sheep’s milk cheeses : A seasonal range of cheeses made from raw, thermized, or pasteurized sheep’s milk, including hard, soft, pressed, blue, bloomy-rind, fresh, and raclette-style cheeses. Dairy products : Sheep’s milk yogurts, rice pudding, vanilla pudding, milk jam, and ice cream made from the farm’s own milk. Meat products : Lamb and sheep cuts such as legs, roasts, chops, stew, minced meat, chipolatas, hamburgers, pâté, smoked sausage, and smoked leg, plus prepared items like navarin and bolognese in jars. Non-dairy farm products : Sheep’s milk soap and wool skeins, extending the farm’s output beyond food products. Core Values Local sourcing : The flock is fed with local ingredients, and the farm emphasizes feed without GMOs, soy, maize, or silage. Animal welfare and natural feeding : Sheep graze on grass, alfalfa, and clover in season, then receive hay produced on the farm, with additional feed based on linseed cake, barley, triticale, and spelt. Short supply chains : Products are sold directly at the farm, at markets, in local shops, and through restaurants, with at most one intermediary for transport. Seasonality and craftsmanship : Production varies with the seasons and availability, reflecting an artisanal approach rather than standardized industrial output. Unique Aspects Integrated farm experience : The site combines dairy production, cheesemaking, direct retail, group meals, and a guest gîte, creating a multi-purpose farm destination. Distinctive aging and affinage : Several cheeses are matured in unusual locations, including a castle keep in Bouillon and the Morépire slate mine in Bertrix. On-farm feed autonomy : The farm produces its own hay and has planted fruit trees and fodder trees to support the flock and improve self-sufficiency. Community support model : The farm offers sheep sponsorship contracts that let customers prepay for products over time, and it has also worked with Terre-en-Vue to secure agricultural land for long-term farming use.