It’s the only such a place in Pomorskie. In Nowy Klincz, a town near the city of Kościerzyna, there is a unique community of dedicated, passionate people, the members of the Dun Bear Community (Wspólnota Burego Misia). On the one hand, people with disabilities, on the other – their caretakers and friends. They all are eager to work, and share the effects of their hard work with others, to bring joy and happiness. This is why the Dun Bear Settlement was founded, which became famous for delicious cheese and preserves produced there. They also take care of livestock, and even run an agritourism farm.
Today, we can say the the Dun Bear Settlement is a true treat-producing machine. Cheese, meat, butter, bread, fruit and vegetable preserves make members of the Community self-sufficient. People are literally forming in lines to purchase their healthy, delicious, and ecological products.
The community is well-known all around Poland thanks to their culinary endeavours, especially their delicious, natural Kashubian cheese, a treat for any dairy aficionado. The Dun Bears produce several kinds of cheese from milk that comes from cows that they breed in the Settlement.
Soft, delicate, sweet and salty breakfast cheese are recommended in the morning. They can be served without any sidings, or with sunflower seeds, Herbes de Provence, or walnuts.
Some cheeses (“smędzone”) are salted, renneted cheeses, smoked in their own smokehouse. Surrounded by amberish peel, they are great to be baked. They taste very well with fruit and preserves (plum jam, cranberry), which are also produced by the members of the Brown Bear Settlement.
The cheese factory in Nowy Klincz also manufactures classic kinds of cheese. They are hard and ripen at least for a month. You can choose from many kinds of cheese, among them a typical, a bit sour, sandwich cheese, or a classic, sweet cheese with a nut aftertaste. In contrast, there are also a sharp-tasting cheese, which takes three months to ripen, as well as variety of cottage cheese, also paste-style with olive oil, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes.
The Dun Bears, and their caretakers – the Grizzly Bears, grow their own fruit and vegetables, as well as many different plants. Come spring, it’s cleaning, sowing, and planting time. Their garden is full of all the necessary ingredients, as they say: from chives and dill, through onion, beets, carrot, parsley, celery, leek, and cabbage, to tomatoes and bell peppers.
Spring is also a special time of taking care of the livestock. Sheep, calves, horses, Jersey cows, hens, bees, and even llamas – there sure is plenty to do around all the animals.
Autumn, on the other hand, is the time for making juices, jams, preserves, such as pickles or sauerkraut, and drying herbs. The work is on all year round in the Settlement.
The Dun Bear Community is an ecological farm, with a sewage treatment plant within its premises, built especially for the Bears. Water is heated thanks to 16 solar panels, and houses – using state-of-the-art, eco-friendly furnaces.
Today, the farm takes up almost 40 hectares of space. It includes a lake, fish ponds, a garden, and space reserved for tourists. What you have to know is that the Community also runs an agritourism farm. Three double rooms, with bathrooms, terraces, and fireplaces, have been made available to the guests. The members of the community make sure that guests be well-fed, for a modest fee.
All natural products manufactured by members of the Dun Bear Settlement can be purchased in the local store. They are worth buying not only because they are delicious, but also because each spent dime is going to support this extraordinary organisation.
The Dun Bear Community is a place full of warmth, and good energy that flows straight from the hearts of its members. When travelling around the region, visit the Settlement, try the delicious Kashubian cheese in all its varieties, and let yourself immerse into the unique atmosphere.
