Strawberry growers Michiel and Petra Penninx developed a new product, Chielkes Aarbeien, last year. Grower Michiel, who grows on 1 hectare in Helenaveen, had been walking around with the idea of a new type of growing method for some time. He decided to turn to ZON for help and advice. They also collaborated with the marketing agency DROPS.
Michiel: "The idea for Chielkes Aardbeien came about because, like other growers, we ran into the fact that strawberries are susceptible to certain diseases and pests, including mildew, aphids, and whitefly. Organic pesticides have not yet been developed for some of the most common pests and diseases. Nevertheless, we saw no point in continuing to use non-organic pesticides even if we stayed within the safe margins. So we looked for another way to outsmart these diseases and pests, and we finally succeeded. Namely, by feeding the plant low nitrate, the nitrate level in the plant remains low, making it much less attractive to insects and fungi. So we can prevent the plant and fruits from being affected."
Besides this special feature, the Chielkes are distinctive in other ways. For instance, the packaging is produced entirely sustainably from recycled paper. Furthermore, using 'nanobubble technology,' the plants receive very 'clean' water, are naturally pollinated by bees and bumblebees, and birds are used to control caterpillars and other unwanted insects. Finally, they deliberately let the strawberries ripen optimally on the plant so that they taste deliciously sweet. An added benefit of the different nutrition given to the strawberry plants is that it also improves shelf life.
For Chielkes Aardbeien, expanding the marketing circle is the biggest challenge in the coming time, tell the growers and Linda Naus of ZON in this complete article(NL).
For more information:
Aardbeienkwekerij Penninx
Chielkes Aardbeien
[email protected]
www.chielkesaardbeien.nl
