Newsletter,
October 2009
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Ton Vreeken ❞Fortunately, we're not all sick, but I've never seen so many people off work 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 really scratching my head (a bit sick, myself). Things can't get much crazier, because certain important tasks are 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 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 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 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 some connection to 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 more pallets full of these "Smartest Seed Kits" in Sweden! They should be arriving this month, and I'm as happy as a child. It's always frustrating when you're very enthusiastic about a product but can't supply 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 he wrote:
De Nieuwe Raatakkers in Wiesel (near Apeldoorn) has several small fields of 500 m² on a 1.3-hectare plot where organic farming is practiced. These 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 sign up. We call this project “Raatakkers Klein” (Small Raatakkers) and we had good results with it last year.
In the future, we want to set up a 5-hectare plot with Celtic fields and nature 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 walkers can also enjoy nature. This project (of course renamed “Raatakkers Groot” - Large Raatakkers) is still in its infancy and anyone 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 it, we would be happy to discuss...!
Personal afterword from the Seedman
In the previous Newsletter, I mentioned that my wife was in London with our foster children. 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 a 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 two 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 grieves...
Our children, of course, are also sharing in our grief. The irony 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 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