Our Story

We are the Backx family, proud to carry on the legacy of Markhoeve Dairy. Our journey began in the Netherlands, where we milked goats. During a vacation to Canada, Marcel caught what we like to call “the Canada Bug.” He fell in love with the country and the idea of starting a dairy farm here. 16 years later, in 2009, that dream became a reality on a farm near Listowel, Ontario.

Back in the Netherlands, Ingrid dreamed of one day making and selling our own dairy products. At the time, she imagined it would be with goat milk.

The name Markhoeve carries a legacy. It was the name of Marcel’s family farm in the Netherlands, located along a creek called the “Mark.” In our home province of Brabant, "Hoeve" is a slang word for "farm." We’re proud to have brought that name with us to Canada.

Ingrid has been making products from our cows’ milk for quite some time, though it started small, just for our own family. We’ve certainly come a long way from making yogurt in a cooler filled with hot water and aging cheese in our basement.

In 2015, we moved to Waterford, Ontario, and we couldn’t be happier with that decision. At the time, the farm had a maple syrup shack and pancake house, you may remember it as the old pancake house if you visited in the late winter years ago. We loved the idea of repurposing the original building into a store and processing space. If you visit today, you’ll still see the original beams from the old maple syrup shack.

We officially opened our doors in September 2023. With the kids growing up and heading off to school, we finally had a bit more time to start our next adventure, starting with just milk and chocolate milk. Since then, our product range has grown, and some of our items are now available at local markets.