For almost five years he worked at Meteor Systems, but this month, he started at Jansborg Aardbeien en Kersen (strawberries and cherries), the cultivation company of his parents in Leende, North Brabant.
With that, Thijs Bertens makes an uncommon move, but for himself it wasn't that unexpected. "I saw myself in ten years more as a grower than as a project manager."
Helping
In the beginning of this year he made the decision to get into the family business. "My parents have grown strawberries for about forty years now, and I helped on weekends and in peak periods in the evenings already."
Thijs' new work area will be 2 hectares of outside strawberry cultivation on stands and a cold greenhouse of 0.5 hectare, also with strawberries. "Next to that we have half a hectare of cherries, but those are just for sale at the door."
On schedule
The first strawberry with a red tint was discovered this week, so before production bursts out its waiting for May for the strawberries and June for the cherries. "We're on schedule. The first red strawberry came two days earlier than next year, I happen to know, but that's not major."
Throughout the years, Thijs learned quite a bit about 'being a grower' and in the coming time he'll learn a whole lot more, a whole lot faster. "At Meteor, I mostly supported the customer with building Mini-Air tunnels and installing gutters, but now I really get to be a grower."
For more information:
Jansborg Aardbeien en Kersen
Facebook-page
Thijs Bertens
thijs@jansborg.nl