Organic pepper production above the soil in new system NatureFresh Farms

Thursday 21 September, Van der Knaap Group and Canada-based vegetable grower NatureFresh Farms have officially come to an agreement that NatureFresh Farms will grow peppers organically with Van der Knaap’s newly developed organic growing system. Both companies consider the growth concept as a sustainable and reliable way of growing vegetables organically. In 2018, NatureFresh will start growing peppers using the new cultivation system, expanding to twelve hectares in the next few years. NatureFresh Farms already has experience with organic growing of peppers, but aims to achieve a higher yield and improvement in quality by implementing Van der Knaap’s cultivation concept.

Ron van der Knaap (Van der Knaap Group) and John Ketler (NatureFresh Farms)

Breakthrough in sustainable organic cultivation
Over the last seven years, Van der Knaap’s R&D team have been working with their partners to develop a cultivation system for growing organically above the soil. Led by Karel de Bruijn, R&D Manager of Van der Knaap, a reactor was developed that converts proteins intro nitrate (NO3) nitrogen. The nutritional solution produced with the reactor is free from organic residues, fungi and bacteria.

Left to right: Karel de Bruijn (Van der Knaap Group), Ron van der Knaap (Van der Knaap Group), John Ketler (NatureFresh Farms) and Frank Neufeld (NatureFresh Farms).

In the Netherlands, in close collaboration with growers’ association Harvest House, a group of their growers has been using the patented cultivation concept successfully.

For more information:
Van der Knaap Groep
Bovendijk 50
2295 RZ Kwintsheul
Postbus 136
2290 AC Wateringen
Netherlands
T: +31 174 296606
F: +31 174 298767
vdk@vanderknaap.info
www.vanderknaap.info