The beginning of the season for Demeter vegetables from Groenland
The starter’s gun will be discharged in the coming days on the Dutch Groenland farm near Utrecht. The first fragrant aubergines and crispy green peppers will be harvested. The organic farmer Ron van Dijk grows many other varieties of delicious vegetables to Demeter biodynamic standards on more than 40,000 m² under glass. His traditional crops include Italian plum tomatoes, vine tomatoes and cherry tomatoes such as the small Vitamini tomato. Red peppers are also a speciality at Groenland: the sweet Ramiro and the sharp Peperoni, for example. Moreover, green peppers subsequently turn into the brightly-coloured yellow, orange or red peppers – they will be ready for harvesting at the end of April.
Such demands on production are also reflected in the planting strategy and the Demeter farmer has come up with something rather special this year. He is growing kohlrabi and beetroot between the peppers. This combination of plants is complementary and the beneficial organisms living in the greenhouse really like the damp atmosphere generated under the leaves with greater moisture as a result. As a bonus the kohlrabi and beetroot can even be harvested from as early as mid-April.
Groenland’s vegetables are grown in two greenhouses: one in Schalkwijk and a smaller one in Andel. Ron’s business partner Bauke Kalme is responsible for the latter. Both greenhouses have been sub-divided into several units separated from one another by large doors. This precautionary measure is designed to limit the rapid spread of any diseases which could break out. At the same time this measure makes it easier to retain the heat within the greenhouse, saving energy. In addition to this, the greenhouses have been fitted with an insulation screen. This helps to store the thermal energy and also provides shadow when there is bright sunshine.
This year the harvest will begin at the end of March and will probably continue until late November. Then the grand clear up will begin – all the preparations will be made for the following season. Then in January everything starts all over again and new plantlets will be planted.
Ron van Dijk took over the farm from his father in 1995 who, in the 1970s, was one of the first farmers in Europe to grow organic produce in greenhouses. In 2010 Ron van Dijk went one step further and since then he has been working to Demeter standards.
The harvested fruit is sorted, weighed and packed in retail packaging or crates for the trade in his own packing station. At present Groenland employs 20 employees on a full-time basis. This figure is somewhat higher during the harvesting period.
Author: Visnja Malesic
Pictures: BioTropic GmbH
Tags: Aubergines (GB), Cherry tomatoes (GB), demeter (GB), Groenland (GB), Kohlrabi (GB), Netherlands (GB), Peppers (GB), Beetroot (GB)
