Creating the Conditions for Life to Thrive

Rone Fillet grew up farming: her parents were early adopters of organic, pesticide free practices in Belgium. When Rone joined the team at Bioboerderij Koolmees, it was a chance to work with Founder Jens Mouton to shape the farm into a vivid example of regeneration in a landscape where few thought farming was possible.

Today, Koolmees grows and forages over 50 types of produce, including strawberries grown in wood chips, edible tulips, native fruit, wild greens, and perennials like chrysanths and elder.

Listening to the Landscape

Set in the wet clay lowlands near Bruges, Koolmees approach to farming is dictated by the unique landscape. “Half our fields are too wet for industrial farming.” Rone explains. Rather than fight the water, Koolmees embraced it. They dug pools, planted diversity, and built a system where productivity comes from synergy, not control.

Rows of heirloom fruit trees are interplanted with berries and hedges, narrow strips of annuals are managed largely by hand, and experimental zones support edible flowers, forest crops, and root-to-seed harvesting.

The name “Koolmees,” which translates to “great tit” in English, is no coincidence. It may sound a bit cheeky, but in Dutch it's a respected little bird with a distinguished name and an important role in the ecosystem: These small birds help control insect pressure, and their presence signals the kind of living landscape the farm is nurturing. With no irrigation system, hedgerows cool the crops, and the soil stays covered year-round. “It should feel more like a natural reserve than a plowed field,” Rone says.

A Diverse Business Model

Koolmees does not depend on a single harvest. If one crop fails due to extreme weather, another thrives. This philosophy of abundance extends beyond the farm: customers, including restaurants and direct consumers, are encouraged to embrace seasonal eating and rediscover lesser-known edible plants.

Koolmees sells directly to more than 200 professional customers, including restaurants, bars, markets, and small shops. The team decided to phase out their Community Supported Agriculture model instead opting to run a farm stand and be present at the local farmers market in Bruges. This set up has given them better control over harvests, timing, and communication with customers, and the farm remains profitable without needing to scale.

Part of Koolmees success has been their long-term perspective on the farm’s growth. They plant with the future in mind. Every winter, they survey what needs to be improved and make investments in the farm that will likely take years to realize.

As a team, they dream of a horse-powered, petrol-free future. “Low-tech is the best tech,” Rone adds. In this way, the farm is both old-fashioned and radical, a place where nature leads and people follow thoughtfully behind.

Supporting the Next Generation

Beyond growing food, Rone and Jens are growing a community. Koolmees regularly hosts interns, collaborates with Bruges’ local Food Lab, and runs a summer farm camp for children every two years.

“Farming isn’t a solo job,” Rone says. “We need networks that are more than economic. We need sharing, co-working, and co-celebrating.” By sharing their journey online and in person, the Koolmees team hopes to normalize regeneration as a viable, joyful, and even beautiful form of agriculture. “We’re not weird people growing strange things,” she laughs. “We’re just showing that there’s a better way to farm.”

Each year brings new experiments, some successful, some not, but always grounded in the vision of an edible, resilient, and regenerative landscape that Rone hopes to pass on: “One day, Jens’s children will inherit this land, it should be a place full of life.”