Newsletter,
July 2009
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Ton Vreeken ❞Luckily, we're not all sick, but I've never experienced this much absenteeism in one year...
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The worst is overWe have a substantial team (now well over thirty people) so we're able to maintain continuity, but this week I was scratching my (somewhat sick) head. Things shouldn't get much crazier because certain important tasks are still being left undone... I hope (for the sick colleagues and for the business) that we only have to manage for another week at most and then we'll be back at full strength.
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Saturday Mari Maris is coming!Who already knows her books? A pleasure to read: The Vegetable Bible was already a hit, and with "Mari Plukt de Dag" (Mari Seizes the Day), she even scored a recommendation during the book review on the TV show De Wereld Draait Door. This coming Saturday, February 17th, Mari will spend a day with us to treat you, our customers, to some snacks. She will mingle among the seed racks and answer your cultivation questions based on her own experience. Of course, she'll be happy to sell her book and will certainly sign it upon request!
Mari was a chef in Amsterdam for many years when she decided to settle in Northern France 9 years ago. There, she manages the Jardin des Étoiles, where she grows vegetables, cooks, and hosts people.
We sell both of her book titles. Click here to see the description. I have a connection with these books because I was allowed to correct the cultivation descriptions and provide additional tips. A fun task with a red pen on the couch...
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Good news from Sweden: the PluggBox is coming back!It took a while, but we were able to purchase a few pallets full of these "Smartest Seed Sets" from Sweden again! They should be rolling in this month, I'm as happy as a child about it. It's always frustrating when you're very enthusiastic about a product but can't deliver it. Read the (long but enjoyable) story about all the clever features of this compact and attractive seed set.
New Raatakkers
One of my growers (and also a customer), Jan Bulthuis, is involved in a wonderful project. Read about it in the following piece he wrote:
De Nieuwe Raatakkers in Wiesel (near Apeldoorn) has a number of small fields of 500 m² on a 1.3-hectare plot where organic farming is practiced. These small fields are separated by nature strips with grains and wildflowers for butterflies, birds, and insects. The goal is to increase biodiversity, grow healthy crops, and have a lot of fun doing it. We grow vegetables for ourselves, but also seeds for Ton Vreeken, as I do with the sweet corn "Zoete Jan" and the (branched and unbranched) sunflower "Op Zwart Zaad". There are still a few fields for rent for enthusiastic and driven enthusiasts! On the website www.nieuweraatakkers.nl you can find more information, including how to register. We call this project "Raatakkers Klein" and we had a good harvest last year.
In the future, we want to develop a 5-hectare plot with traditional fields and nature strips, and a small farm or barn for tool storage, toilet facilities, coffee, and shelter. In such a large area, nature will have even more opportunities. We hope that the field flora will flourish again and that field birds can breed there, that the Partridge will walk through the grain fields and the Skylark will sing above our heads... The entire area will then become a beautiful small-scale agricultural landscape where hikers can also enjoy nature. This project (of course renamed "Raatakkers Groot") is still in its infancy and anyone who wants to participate is most welcome. We want to realize this somewhere in Gelderland and if there is anyone who has land available for this, we would be happy to discuss it...!
Personal Afterword from the Seed Man
In the previous Newsletter, I mentioned that my wife was visiting our foster grandchildren in London. That was 4 weeks ago. This week, we were shocked by the terrible news that our oldest foster grandchild (23 years old) suddenly passed away. His name is Pateh, a young man in the prime of his life. Full of responsibility and with the dream of becoming a pilot. Of course, he had many more dreams; it seemed like he had the flu, and we are still awaiting an autopsy to find out what happened. Great sorrow and devastation for his parents and both brothers. My wife Marry is with them; I will go there for a day next week. It feels so strange to be here amidst the seeds while my family is grieving...
Our children are, of course, also empathetic. The duality is that we also get to enjoy ultrasounds from 2 happy pregnant women: my daughter-in-law was the first, and now my eldest daughter is also pregnant. Grandpa Vreeken should start thinking about his retirement soon...
Fortunately, as a family, we can talk openly and share each other's joys and sorrows. If needed, we are there for each other. On days like these, WhatsApp is a blessing for communication!
Until next time!
Ton Vreeken, February 16, 2018