Lensli already has the necessary experience with organic substrates and with Greenline Food they offer a strong product for vegetable growers.”
Strawberry and cucumber grower De Peelkroon from Limburg, led by Rob van Enckevort, is responsible for the production of several strawberry and cucumber crops. The complete cultivation consists of 5,3 Ha of strawberries under glass and 2,2 Ha of cucumbers. The company has a total of 3 branches, all of which are located in the province of Limburg. Due to a positive experience with organic substrates in strawberry cultivation, nursery de Peelkroon has decided that organic substrate suits them better than the usual rockwool in cucumber cultivation. They therefore see opportunities for organic substrate in greenhouse vegetables for stronger and more resilient cultivation.
The collaboration between De Peelkroon and Lensli started in 2020 through a joint classmate from HAS. At the time, some tests were done on a small scale, and they were satisfied with that. Due to Lensli's experience with organic substrates in greenhouse vegetables and because there was already a strong product with Greenline Food, Lensli's organic substrate, de Peelkroon has decided to opt for further cooperation with Lensli.
Thanks to the short lines of communication and the focus on quality products, we are very satisfied with the services provided by Lensli.”
It is important for Kwekerij de Peelkroon to be able to supply a product of reliable quality. To achieve this, they strive to combine the use of modern techniques and the knowledge they have already acquired in their business operations:
For strawberry cultivation, they use different varieties and plantings in order to achieve as spread a production as possible. The focus here is on growing in resilient cultivation systems, in order to raise plant health and product quality to a higher and more reliable level.
A more 'traditional' system is used for cucumbers, with 3 plantings per year. They have been growing the cucumbers on Greenline food since this year, 2023. De Peelkroon has chosen Greenline Food so that they can take major steps in the field of plant health. In previous years it has been clearly demonstrated that the plants with Greenline Food become less susceptible to diseases and pests during cultivation.
We have chosen Greenline Food so that we can take major steps in the field of plant health.”
The strawberries and cucumbers from the Peelkroon are sold via Kompany; a cooperative of and for growers, who jointly supply the market with high-quality fresh products. Part of the cultivation is destined for the domestic market and part is for export within Europe. The strawberries of De Peelkroon are supplied to various markets; from retail to home sellers.
De Peelkroon strives to continue to develop, with the focus in the near future most likely going to be on the strawberry activities. De Peelkroon would like to move towards a more 'closed structure' in which they have the cultivation of plant material in their own hands. The purpose of this is to continue to optimize the processes within the company and to implement improvements in the organizational field. On the other hand, De Peelkroon also wants to arm itself against cost increases, both now and in the future.