Newsletter,
May 2010
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Ton Vreeken ❞Luckily, we're not all sick, but I've never experienced as much absenteeism as this year...
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The worst is overWe have a large team (now well over thirty people) so we can maintain continuity, but this week I was scratching 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 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 knows her books already? A delight to read: The Vegetable Bible was already a hit and with "Mari Plukt de Dag" (Mari Seizes the Day) she even received a recommendation during the book review of De Wereld Draait Door on TV. 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 many years before deciding 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 a certain 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 back!It took a while, but we were able to purchase a few more pallets full of these "Smartest Seed Kits" in Sweden! 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 kit.
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 written by him:
De Nieuwe Raatakkers in Wiesel (near Apeldoorn) has a number of small 500 m² organic farming plots on a 1.3-hectare parcel. These small plots are separated by natural strips with grains and wildflowers for butterflies, birds, and insects. The goal is to increase biodiversity, grow healthy crops, and enjoy the process. We grow vegetables for ourselves, 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 had a very successful year with it last year.
In the future, we want to develop a 5-hectare parcel with raatakkers and natural 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 arable 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 arable 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 very welcome. We want to realize this somewhere in Gelderland and if anyone 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 with our foster children 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. And, of course, many more dreams. It seemed like he had the flu, we are still waiting for 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 empathizing. The duality is that we also get to enjoy ultrasound scans of two 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 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 the next letter!
Ton Vreeken, February 16, 2018