The Kromme Akker petting zoo

In the beautiful city of Geertruidenberg you will find Children's Farm De Kromme Akker in beautiful green surroundings. On a 1.5-hectare piece of land, you can visit a huge range of farm animals and then enjoy a delicious drink on the terrace. This place is much more than just a petting zoo for the little ones among us. Read more below!

Roy van den Kieboom has now been coordinator and board member of this foundation for five years. Roy is in charge of the day-to-day operations. He invents and executes things with the approval of the board. Three days a week he is, among other things, active in guiding people with disabilities on the children's farm. Everyone who works at the petting zoo does so on a voluntary basis.

'Petting Farm De Kromme Akker is a social meeting place for young and old'

The petting zoo is a great place to interact with farm animals, but the social aspect is also very big. This is partly because of the catering area with terrace. It is a place for young and old. Older people come here for a cup of coffee and a nice chat. The young come for the animals and a tasty sandwich. The petting zoo is an important place, even after corona. The social importance is very great.

What makes De Kromme Akker extra special is their wide range of animals. You will find alpacas, goats, pigs, rabbits, birds, sheep, donkeys, ponies, pheasants, turkeys, quails, peacocks, chickens, guinea pigs, squirrels, parrots, fish and much more.

The Kromme Akker also hosts events such as children's bingo, scavenger hunts, coloring contests, crafts with sheep or alpaca wool and puzzle rides. It is also a very educational place. For example, many schools visit in the spring when the lambs are newly born. The petting zoo also visits nursing homes. They load up some chickens, goats and rabbits so people can cuddle these little animals in their homes. As an extra service, they also have guest animals. So people who go on vacation can let their little animals stay at the petting zoo.

A day at the petting zoo

In the morning, Roy goes over the day with the team of volunteers and clients. They divide tasks such as feeding the animals and cleaning the pens. There is also a separate group that takes care of garden maintenance. This group consists of pensioners who love gardening. Because there are many people with disabilities helping at the petting zoo, a clear structure is very important. When everyone is working Roy dives into the administration because that is a big task with so many animals. Roy makes sure every animal is vaccinated on time and that the farrier comes by regularly for the four-legged animals' hooves.

The dream

Roy would like to make the petting zoo more sustainable. For example, by installing solar panels, something educational with water for the children, green roofs on the stables and replacing the fencing with recycled plastic. That is the dream for the future, moving with the times. Roy is extremely proud that he has been able to keep the team together during the corona period. He loves seeing that even though everything is voluntary, there are still people who want to work here. He has also started to focus more on animal welfare in recent years. They have done a lot of remodeling so the animals now have more space.

Roy gets tremendous energy from the people who leave with smiles on their faces. He describes the organization with the words sociability, educational and acceptance. Because truly everyone is welcome.

Are you curious about the wide range of animals you can cuddle? Or are you not so fond of animals but fancy a nice drink on the terrace? Take a look at De Kromme Akker petting zoo! Admission is free and they are open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 17:00.