What a joy to be able to grow in this - Case Study
Arc greenhouses are prized figureheads of Land in Sight Horticulture.
The new, organic horticulture branch of care company Land in Zicht is an enrichment for Amersfoort. The company`s clients in need of care have a fun, meaningful day out. And local residents enjoy picking sustainably grown vegetables and flowers for a small fee. "It`s a resounding success, thanks in part to those fine greenhouses," says grower Nienke Boone with undisguised enthusiasm. "Those extend the growing season by several months."
Tuinderij Land in Zicht is no ordinary horticultural company. For that, the 6,000 m2 site shows too much variety in vegetable and flower crops. The small-scale and varied set-up makes it clear that yield and profit maximization are not the driving forces here. Nevertheless, everything looks well cared for and professional. Not least because of the four striking arched greenhouses, which can be seen from afar.
Boone is overjoyed with the garden`s flying start. Every week 65 households come to harvest healthy, organic vegetables and flowers, and that may eventually become 200. Plans to expand next year, including an educational school garden and a tea shop, are already in place.
"The lot is exactly 1 acre, so we can put another 4,000 square meters into use," says the urban farmer`s wife proudly. "Socially involved companies help us invest in it, because financially it`s really challenging."
The involvement of the next generation will not be lacking. Boone: "Many children are not fond of vegetables, but for the children who come here regularly - usually with their parents to pick something themselves - that does not apply. They think our tomatoes are the tastiest in the whole world."
With a small, supervisory team from Rovero, colleagues from the care company and a large group of enthusiastic volunteers, the four 930R greenhouses were built in early spring. A week later, the first vegetable crops went into the ground, including several types of tomatoes and the tropical crop Malabar, a type of climbing spinach. During the September talk, the tomato plants in particular stand out, heavily laden with ripe and ripening fruit.
"Surely this makes you happy," the city farmer`s wife asks rhetorically as she holds up a giant bunch of cherry tomatoes. "What a joy to be able to grow in these greenhouses. And to work or take shelter when it rains, because here you are always dry. The temperature can rise considerably, but thanks to the good ventilation, it`s not too hot any time soon. Best of all, the greenhouses extend the growing season by months in the spring and fall. That makes it even more interesting for residents to buy a subscription and stop by here every week to pick. It has really strengthened our bond with the residential area next to the farm."
They may not be the cheapest, but you buy a greenhouse for the long term. Then you have to factor in things like expected lifespan, annual costs for interest, depreciation and maintenance, and total cost of ownership. Boone: "What I think is a real plus for Rovero is the solidity of the construction. The greenhouses are not only well braced but also anchored in concrete. You don`t see that very often with foil greenhouses. In addition, the foil is of good quality. Both aspects make the greenhouse storm-proof, which is no luxury in the Netherlands. We have four of them of 19 meters long, equipped with one-sided side ventilation on the lee side and wide rolling doors in the end walls."
After completing her education, the brand-new urban farmer`s wife was able to start work immediately for care company Land in Zicht, which wanted to set up a green branch. Director Yuri Gohen more or less gave her a free hand. "That`s how I found my calling after all, and now I get to root in the earth every day," Boone says, smiling broadly. "First, however, plans had to be made, starting with the construction of four greenhouses. After all, a good amount of money goes into that. I really looked into that and it finally led me to Rovero`s arc greenhouses."
"For Land in View, this is a new adventure that I get to lead as a grower," says agronomist Nienke Boone. "I started this with great pleasure and it is even more fun than I had thought beforehand. Every day is different, but always brings me in contact with the people we care for. And with local residents, who knew very quickly that you can buy healthy, tasty and beautiful organic produce here. They have to harvest them themselves first, though. Nice right?"
After studying at Wageningen University, Nienke did development work for an NGO, for which she spent a lot of time abroad. Back in the Netherlands, she traded her "too boring" office job for a two-year practical course in Biologically Dynamic Urban Agriculture at Stichting Warmonderhof. "There, among other things, I took the course in castle farming and first came into contact with Rovero foil greenhouses," she explains. "I also often heard that name dropped during field trips to horticultural companies."
