Over 45 years ago, Dutchman Joe Doef moved to Canada to start a greenhouse horticulture business there. His nursery now grows cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and eggplants, all for the regional market. The Doef family is at six local markets every week, with consumers prepared to pay good prices for safe produce from the region.
The Canadian horticulture sector has grown up, with production companies having evolved, utilizing many modern technological innovations. One of the companies responding to increased demand from the local market, is the nursery of the Doef family. The company was founded in 1969 by Dutchman Joe Doef. At 4.5 hectares, the company isn’t large by Dutch standards, but the way they work is certainly special, with Doef’s Greenhouses growing cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, lettuce and eggplants. “That way, customers can get all their greenhouse vegetables from us,” says Eric Doef, Joe’s son, because that’s what it’s all about: supplying to the local buyer.
The company sells its harvest through both local markets, wholesalers and supermarket chains. “We see a lot of possibilities in the local markets in particular. People want to buy local food, and there is a lot of interest in food,” Eric says. In 1987, they decided to work together with two other nurseries to be able to sell produce on two regional markets. Doef’s is also present at four other farmers’ markets. For Doef’s, it’s not just about selling your products on a local market: it’s also about being in touch with the buyer. Outside of the markets, the family stays in touch with buyers through social media, with new posts appearing on Twitter and Facebook almost every day.
Thanks to illumination, Doef’s is able to supply bell peppers and tomatoes year-round. Eric: “We happily continue cultivation in winter, which means we can supply quality produce when demand for it is high. In winter, we’re seeing demand from the local market increase. Other produce from the region is hardly available. Most of it is imported.”
High revenues are mostly achieved during the illuminated season. “In the summer season, we don’t need the lamps, and prices are usually lower because everyone is selling. That’s why we plan our crop rotation then.” The most important crop for Doef’s remains cucumbers, however. Quality is opted for in the entire cultivation – hence the increasing production on the high wire. “It’s more labour-intensive, but the quality is phenomenal thanks to this cultivation method.”
