When it comes to rearing and fattening our animals, the Goldschmaus farmers are our trusted partners. The animals comes from farms organised into regional producer groups.
In order to guarantee the high quality of our products, the Goldschmaus farmers are reviewed annually during QA audits. This is significantly more than is required by law. Furthermore, there are particular Goldschmaus guidelines that the farmers follow. These are also checked annually by external auditors.
But animal welfare is not just checked regularly by external parties; the farmers themselves are responsible for providing their animals with the best possible care every day.
Allow us to introduce some of our Goldschmaus farmers! Have a look at our farmyard portraits and discover what type of holding each one is and who are the people behind them.
The Niehaus family became a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel in 2001. The farm has existed since 1785 – today the family keeps pigs, cattle and chickens. The stall roofs are also equipped with a photovoltaic system. The feed for the animals is purchased from regional feed mills. In their free time the family volunteers as a member of the voluntary fire brigade and energetically supports the work of the countrywomen.
Heinrich Kühter is one of the 32 founding members of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel. The origins of the business go back to the eighteenth century. Today Heinrich Kühter runs his company together with his son, Andreas. Pigs are kept on the family farm. In addition to pig fattening, keeping poultry is also an important business segment. The Kühter family also has a biogas facility and cultivates arable farmland. The feed for the animals comes from regional feed mills, which regularly deliver the feed.
The Behrens family has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel since 2001. Heike and Erwin Behrens run the farm in its second generation today. Keeping sows and rearing piglets are some of the business segments covered by the farm. The piglets are delivered to the farm at a weight of approx. 30 kg and sold to another farmer. Dairy cows are also kept on the family farm. Prepared feed for the sows and piglets are bought in addition. The feed for the cows is cultivated on their own farm. One feature on the farm in Bösel is the dairy robots, which are used to milk the cows.
Helmut Werner is one of the 32 farmers who founded the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel in 1988. The farm is now under its fourth generation of management, run together with his wife, Elke and his son, Jens. The family keeps sows, rears piglets and fattens pigs. The piglets born to the sows remain on the farm in Bösel and are reared there and fattened up. No piglets are bought in. The business therefore runs as a closed system. The family also manages arable farming. The yields are sold to feed mills in the region after the harvest and it is bought back as prepared feed for the animals. The roofs on the farm are equipped with a photovoltaic system in order to generate electricity from renewable energy. The Werner family is committed to training and regularly recruits trainees.
The Sieger company has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 2012. The Gerdes family has specialised in pig fattening. Corn and grains are cultivated on their own land, which is sold after the harvest. The feed for the pigs is purchased from regional feed mills as prepared feed.
The Meerjans family has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel since 2008. The family farm is now under the fourth generation of management and in future it will be taken over by Thomas Meerjans. The family keeps sows. The family operate traditional feeding systems.
The Meerjans family also runs a biogas facility to produce electricity and heat, which is used to heat the stables. The feed for the animals is purchased in addition from regional feed mills and delivered to the stables as required.
The Gerdes family have been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 2001. The family farm has existed since 1473. The Gerdes family has specialised in pig fattening. The piglets are delivered to the farm at a weight of approx. 25kg and fattened up. The grains for the feed is cultivated on the farm’s own land and stored in halls after the harvest. This can then be processed into pig feed and fed to the piglets or pigs for fattening as required. The family runs a woodchip heating system, which supplies the whole farm with heating. They also have a photovoltaic system to produce electricity from renewable energies.
The Grothaus company has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 2008. The farm is located in Beverbruch and has existed since 1912. The Grothaus family keeps sows, whose piglets remain on the farm to be reared and fattened. This is referred to as a closed system. The family has its own land on which corn and grains are cultivated. After the harvest they are sold to regional feed mills. These feed mills then deliver feed for the animals depending on their needs. The roofs on the stables are equipped with a photovoltaic system in order to generate electricity from renewable energy.
The Hellbusch company has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel since 1997. Dennis Hellbusch runs the farm, now in its fifth generation, together with his parents, Hartmut and Maria Hellbusch. He rears piglets and fattens them. He also rears calves and fattens cattle. The feed for the cattle is cultivated from his own land, while the feed for the piglets and pigs comes from regional feed mills. The family also has a photovoltaic system to produce electricity.
The Möller family from Bethen has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 2007. The farm has existed since 1836 – today two generations live off the business. The family fattens pigs, and cattle and keeps dairy cows. The feed for their pigs is purchased from regional feed mills and delivered to the farm. The feed for the cows and cattle is harvested from their own land and stored in their own hangars and silos. Rainer Möller is a member of the board of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel and works to represent the interests of farmers there. The family’s hobby: Making music!
The Peckskamp family is one of the founding members of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel. As one of the 32 farmers, Hans Peckskamp laid the foundations for the commercialisation of quality meat. The Peckskamp farm has existed since 1927 and has continued to develop. The family fattens cattle and pigs. The feed for the cattle is cultivated on their own land; in contrast the feed for the pigs is sourced from regional feed mills. The roofs on the stables are equipped with a photovoltaic system in order to generate electricity from renewable energy.
Hubert Ronnebaum is one of the 32 farmers who founded the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachtvieh Bösel in 1988. The farm has existed since approx. 1920. Today the business is run by Hubert and Theresia Ronnebaum, together with their son Joseph. The pig fattening and cattle fattening are the most important business segments on the farm in the Böseler district of Glaßdorf. The family also manages arable farming and has two biogas facilities. The feed for the cattle comes from its own farm. The pig feed is bought in from regional feed mills.
The Warnke family has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 2004 and therefore also belong to the Goldschmaus Bauern (Goldschmaus farmers). Piglets are reared and pigs are fattened on the Warnke family farm. Corn and grains are cultivated on their own land and are sold to regional feed mills after the harvest. The feed for the animals is produced by regional feed mills and is delivered regularly. The family is also active in the area of renewable energies and has a photovoltaic system.
Gregor Gerwin has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 2000 and since 2009 has represented the interests of farmers as first chairman. The farm has existed since the seventeenth century. Gregor Gerwin runs a pig fattening facility on his farm in Cappeln and a biogas facility, which he uses to supply heat to his stables. The stable roofs are also equipped with a photovoltaic system to generate electricity from renewable energies. He purchases the feed for his pigs from regional feed mills, to which he delivers his own home-grown grain after the harvest. In his free time Gregor Gerwin likes to go hunting and is a member of the local music society.
The Göken family is a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter). Pigs and poultry are kept on the family farm. Markus Göken is also active in arable farming. The yields are sold to feed mills in the region after the harvest and it is bought back as prepared feed for the animals. The roofs on the farm are equipped with a photovoltaic system in order to generate electricity from renewable energy. Markus Göken is involved in the advisory board and represents the interests of farmers there.
The Schmies family have been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 1992. The business is now under second generation management, and will be taken over by daughter Veronika in future. Veronika has completed agricultural training and will initially continue by studying Agriculture. They work in a closed system on the farm. This means: the piglets that come from their own sows stay on the farm and are fattened up there. In addition to keeping sows, rearing piglets and fattening the pigs the family is also active in arable farming. The animals are fed with feed from regional feed mills. The stall roofs on the family farm are equipped with a photovoltaic system to generate electricity from renewable energies. As the first Chairman of the Advisory board, Andreas Schmies represents the interests of farmers at the slaughtering and meat packing company, Böseler Goldschmaus. The Schmies family is also involved in the area of training and always recruits an apprentice every year.
The Watermann family are in their fifth generation of running their farm. The family has been a member of the Erzeugergemeinschaft für Schlachvieh Bösel (producer association for animals for slaughter) since 1994. Kira and her family keep Limousin breeds of beef cattle in open stables on straw. The staple feed, maize and grass silage are home-grown by the business themselves.
