Newsletter,
October 2026
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Ton Vreeken ❞Luckily, we're not all sick, but I've never experienced as many absences as this year...
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The worst is overWe have a substantial team (now well over thirty people), so we're keeping things going, but this week I still scratched my (somewhat sick) head. It shouldn't get much crazier because certain important tasks are still pending... I hope (for the sick colleagues and for the business) that we'll only have to manage for another week and then be back to full strength.
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Saturday Mari Maris is coming!Who knows her books already? A delight to read: De Groentebijbel (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 De Wereld Draait Door (a Dutch TV show). 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 from 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 years until 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. Take a look at the description here. I have some connection with these books, as I was allowed to correct the cultivation descriptions and provide additional tips. A fun little job 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 this "Smartest Seed Set" in 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 fun) story about all the clever features of this compact and beautiful 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 by him:
De Nieuwe Raatakkers in Wiesel (near Apeldoorn) has a number of small 500 m² fields on a 1.3-hectare plot where organic farming is practiced. These fields are separated by natural 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 there, but also seeds for Ton Vreeken, as I do with the "Zoete Jan" sweet corn and the (branching and non-branching) "Op Zwart Zaad" sunflower. There are still a few plots for rent for enthusiastic and driven enthusiasts! On the website www.nieuweraatakkers.nl you can find more information, including how to sign up. We call this project “Raatakkers Klein” and we did very well with it last year.
In the future, we want to develop a 5-hectare plot with "raatakkers" (cellular fields) and natural strips, and a small farm or barn on it 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 everyone who wants to participate is very 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 by the Seed Man
In the previous Newsletter, I mentioned that my wife was visiting our foster children in London. That was already 4 weeks ago. This week, we were shocked by the terrible news that our eldest foster grandchild (23 years old) suddenly passed away. His name is Pateh, a young man in the prime of his life. Full of a sense of responsibility and with the dream of becoming a pilot. And of course, many more dreams. It seemed as if he had the flu; we are still awaiting the autopsy to find out what happened. Great sorrow and devastation for his parents and two brothers. My wife Marry is with them; I will go there for a day next week. It feels so strange to be here in the midst of the seeds while my family is grieving...
Our children, of course, are also sharing in the sorrow. The duality is that we can also enjoy the ultrasound scans of 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 retirement soon...
Fortunately, as a family, we can talk well with each other 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