BLES-WOLD Dairy

The Artistry of Bles-Wold's Yogurt

Tinnie making Bles-Wold Yogurt

In 1994, we moved to Canada with our 13 year old daughter and our 9 year old son. By February 1995, our new farm had a brand new dairy facility and 60 Holsteins. We named our farm Bles-Wold, a hybrid of both of our hometowns, Blesdijke, and Steenwijkerwold, Holland.

I started the yogurt business as a hobby in 1996. I credit Hennie with being the entrepreneur and planner when it comes to yogurt production as part of the Bles-Wold vision.

The yogurt making was just a way for me to give my diabetic teenage daughter a nutritious breakfast that didn't contain added sugars. Since my brother, Gerard, had a small commercial yogurt business on his farm in Holland, I asked him to send me a small (400-litre) pasteurizer and a recipe.

I would whip up batches of mild tasting yogurt in my kitchen and share the home made yogurt with friends and neighbours, and they seemed to like it! I learned that Albertans like their yogurt sweeter and thicker than that found in Europe. My taste testers also expressed their desire for fruit flavours.

My husband, Hennie, encouraged me to think about the possibility of making yogurt as a business.

In 1996, I took my farm fresh yogurt to the Lacombe and Ponoka Farmer's Markets, where it was a hit! The Manager from the local Coop Store came to us, and that is how it all started. That is when Bles-Wold Yogurt made the leap from Farmer's Markets to grocery stores.

My husband and I took the growing pains all in stride. I made my way through the dizzying labelling regulations with the help of agricultural advisors from the Government of Alberta.

Bles-Wold is a premium product. It travels from the farm's cows in the milking barn to the yogurt production facility in a matter of hours, and arrives on grocery shelves in a matter of days. This freshness and a tight control over production have meant business is booming!

These days, Bles-Wold yogurt, and now sour cream, is sold at 100 different locations across Alberta, and is produced in our federally inspected facility right here on the farm.