Next year, Pim van Wingerden's greenhouse will make way for housing via the Dutch space-for-space scheme. The thirty-something knew it was coming, although until recently it was still uncertain when exactly the demolition of the greenhouse could start. Meanwhile, the young grower was looking for a new location, but without success for the time being.
"I haven't found the suitable location yet," the leafy crop grower tells us just after parking the forklift on which we find him driving. More than five years back, he took over the business after the death of his father. Now he is looking for a new location that is preferably just a little bigger than the one-hectare greenhouse in which he currently grows. "1.5 to 2 hectares would be perfect, preferably with a house next to it. After all, I think it's important to be close to the crop."
Paksoi
Lately, he has been talking regularly about the future of his company Growing Healthy Vegetables with his broker, his buyers, the plant breeder, and the breeding company, among others. Did they perhaps know a good new location for him? He also visited several locations to see what might be possible. "Especially the soil is important to me. I need to be able to grow pak choi and purslane well in it."
Until three years ago, Pim was still growing turnip greens. His father used to do that too. The turnip greens have since been traded in for growing pak choi. "That gives me a stable base," he says. Paksoi is grown year-round by Pim. Purslane no longer, but he still grows it in summer. He has good buyers for both crops. "I'm actually rammed full all year round at the moment. That's not ideal with a soil crop. My father always said: 'Soil must also have rest.' Hence I prefer to find a slightly larger greenhouse to continue with."
Quest
In the Barendrecht-Ridderkerk region, even though a lot of growers have stopped and greenhouses have been demolished, there are still plenty of greenhouses to be found where Pim could easily continue his business. "Only, the often older growers who are in them now are not always willing to sell. They prefer to continue growing themselves until they stop. And there is very little to rent."
The greenhouse demolisher will start demolishing the greenhouse on 3e Barendrechtseweg in early January. Pim will not be complete without a greenhouse by then, as he has rented a few thousand square meters for January and February. "Even in recent years I have rented some more, but the disadvantage of renting is that it is difficult to invest. And with a view to the future, you do need that."
Unique position
From the moment he took over the company, he experienced the coronavirus crisis, the energy crisis, and also natural disasters. "At that windstorm here in the neighborhood, hundreds of windows were ringing out and this spring was also hit by the storm. In the end, I weathered the coronavirus crisis and the energy crisis well. I hardly burn any gas, so fortunately that is not such a big problem."
In Pim's conversations with many of his contacts, he was regularly reminded that he is in a pretty unique position. "You have experience, you are young and you want to. That's not very common in soil-based greenhouse leaf crop cultivation, I also know."
The thirtysomething with ambition therefore keeps on looking - "that good combination of a greenhouse and house is there" - and growing in the greenhouse while he still can. His customers can still count on freshly harvested vegetables for the foreseeable future. "I hope I don't have to press the pause button, but had to give clarity to my buyers," he says.
After taking a photo, we walk out of the greenhouse again. Once outside, Pim points to the shed. "Look, I painted the gas pipe the other day. I do want to keep everything tidy." Needless to say, grower Pim is not done with it yet despite the demolition of his greenhouse. He wants to keep going.
For more information:
Pim van Wingerden
Growing Healthy Vegetables
[email protected]