Fruitbedrijf Hermans will harvest organic strawberries for the first time, starting from the upcoming season onwards. Unlike many other fruits, it's not common for strawberries to be grown organically, but David Hermans and Gunther De Vadder (sales of organic hard and soft fruit at BelOrta) think it has great potential. "It's a nice addition for us right after the hard fruit season and before the cherry season. Moreover, we felt that organic strawberries were missing from the shelves." says the young BelOrta grower from Herk-de-Stad (Flanders, Belgium).
Test harvest last year
The fruit company fully transitioned to organic cultivation in 2022. For this reason, a large part of the land (about 9 hectares) is allocated for organic hard fruit cultivation. Here, he grows the apple varieties Marnica and Boerenkamp, as well as organic Conference pears. "Yet, we decided to grow more fruit types to ensure a nice variation throughout the year. Cherries were already cultivated, but our thoughts quickly turned to strawberries," Gunther adds. "We already had a lot of knowledge and experience in strawberry cultivation, and we decided to take the plunge."
The first harvest of organic Falco
"As a result, last year we conducted a test with organic strawberry cultivation for which we used the same surface as we previously used for conventional cultivation," continues David. Aside from a passion for cultivation, David also had a quite successful bicycle racing career. "This test was actually very successful as we achieved the same quality and volume of product through organic cultivation as through conventional cultivation. Subsequently, the land was certified, and we decided to cultivate almost one hectare of organic Falco strawberries."
Upcoming harvest
Choosing the right variety was important, the gentlemen say. "Not many growers dare to switch to organic strawberries, but we were convinced that we could achieve a lot when having the right knowledge and making the right variety choice. In addition, it's key to keep the chain from harvester to customer as short as possible to ensure optimal quality and taste. That's something we focus on," Gunther explains.
The new Falcos will be available from May onwards
The nursery's first strawberries are expected in early May. "Then we start marketing them, we expect to harvest around 30 tons which we will offer until mid-June. It's never sure how things will turn out, but we certainly have high expectations. We think that the 300-gram topseal has great potential on supermarket and discounter shelves. It's something we're missing and that we would like to offer to our customers." In addition to the 300-gram topseal, the strawberries will also be available in 500 and 250-gram topseals and a 500-gram open punnet. "We're looking forward to it," the men conclude.
For more information:
David Hermans
Fruitbedrijf Hermans
Nieuwmolenstraat 4
3540 Herk-de-Stad, Belgium
Tel.: +32 13 55 41 04
Gunther De Vadder
BelOrta
Mechelsesteenweg 120
B-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Tel.: +32 155 655 291
info@belorta.be
www.belorta.be