Our rotation consists of six different crops: potatoes, onions, carrots, cereals, peas and sugar beet. These product groups are further divided into ware potatoes and seed potatoes, onion sets and onions grown from seed, B-class carrots and carrots for processing. Apart from lifting sugar beet, all jobs on the farm are carried out by ourselves, from planting to harvesting. Marketing and exporting of these products is done in close relationship with Holland Food Trade.
Arable farming
Potatoes
Both ware potatoes and seed potatoes are grown on the farm. The seed potatoes are grown for export, and graded and packed by ourselves. The main varieties are: Agria, Milva, Diva and Colomba. When it comes to ware potatoes, both table potatoes and processing potatoes are grown. These are sold into the retail or export markets, or the processing industry. Washing, grading and packing is carried out in-house by our own processing plant in Dirksland. For more information about the various packaging options and export possibilities, please look on the grading & packing page.
Onions
Thanks to our location and top quality soil we have everything necessary for growing excellent onions. This provides us with an almost year-round supply of our own crop. By growing onions from sets, fresh produce is available from early July onwards. Between September and June onions grown from seed, and stored in a boxed store, are used. This produce can be graded and packed by our own facilities. Aside from small packs and bags, we can also deliver in bulk by means of big bags or trailers.
Carrots
Due to the extremely varied soil types across our farms, from heavy clay through to light sand, we can grow an excellent range of different carrot varieties. B-class carrots (50 – 200 grams) and carrots for processing (over 400 grams) are grown on our own farm. Everything from sowing right through to harvesting is done in-house. The produce is stored in a modern box store and cold store. This is also used to look after produce for other farms. Thanks to an interchanging system in the processing line, different varieties and lots can be kept separate for washing and processing. A drying system is used so that only clean and dry produce is processed.
Other crops
Other crops grown on the balance of our farm include wheat, peas and sugar beet. Wheat is grown as a break-crop in order to aid soil fertility. Peas are mostly grown for the canning industry. Sugar beet remains a steady and important crop on the farm. The Coöperatieve Telersvereniging De Schakel takes care of the sale of canning vegetables.
