hooibergen

Hooibergen are haystacks or hayricks, traditional storage forms for hay and straw in Dutch-speaking rural areas. The term covers piles built in fields as part of the seasonal process of drying and preserving forage for livestock. Hooibergen were especially common before the introduction of modern silos and baling, and they remain a recognizable feature of the countryside in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Construction and form varied by region and farm, but the aim was the same: to allow air to circulate and to shed rain. Stacks were typically built by layering cut grass or straw into a heap, sometimes with a broader base and a tapering top. When weather permitted, the hay was left to dry in the sun and wind before being taken to a barn or left in the field for use as winter feed. In some areas, straw was stored in similar heaps for bedding and other agricultural uses.

With the modernization of agriculture in the 20th century, field haystacks were largely replaced by mechanically harvested hay stored in barns, lofts or in wrapped bales. Today, hooibergen are mainly seen as cultural heritage, rural scenery, or in agricultural museums. Certain landscapes or protected areas preserve examples as reminders of traditional farming practice.

See also: haystack.