ORGANIC BRASSICAS: ‘DON’T WORK TOO HARD, BUT GET A LOT DONE’ ORGANIC BRASSICAS ARE LABOUR-INTENSIVE AND HIGHLY VULNERABLE. CULTIVATING THEM IS A DISTINCT SPECIALITY. A FARM IN THE DUTCH VILLAGE OF BIDDINGHUIZEN HAS EMBRACED IT; FOR A FEW DECADES NOW THEY’VE FOCUSED ON GROWING AND PROCESSING ORGANIC WHITE, RED, POINTED AND CHINESE CABBAGE. WE SPOKE TO HUIB AND JOOST RIJK, WHO WITH HENNIE, HUIB’S WIFE, RUN THE RIJK-HARTKAMP FARM.
From conventional to organic Huib, 64, had always supported organic farming. Since 1984 he’d seen more and more farmers making the switch. But he wasn’t immediately convinced that it was for him. Starting in 1990, however, his farm had to deal with various setbacks, and the prospects weren’t rosy, in part because the parcel of land was relatively small. In 1993, the last year farmers in the Netherlands could instantly make the official switch to organic, Huib took the leap. He ran his farm using conventional methods until autumn, and the following year he grew organic produce. “Bejo does a lot of development in the organic area. We like to cooperate on that.” Joost Rijk
Many hands make light work When it comes to brassicas, the differences between organic and conventional agriculture are significant. Joost, 28, says, “In conventional farming it’s about lorries, but we use pallets. Quality is a big thing too, because of the vulnerability of the crops.” Huib says, “Organic is just nice. I always used to work alone. I didn’t know any better, but looking back, it was quite boring. Now we always need people. A lot of farmers hesitate to make the switch to organic because they don’t like the idea of managing staff. But that’s something you can learn to do.” Joost and Huib always tell their workers, “Don’t work too hard, but get a lot done.” There’s only one way to do that: work efficiently. Joost says, “Often, it’s about the little things. Weeding with a hoe seems simple, but it’s one of the hardest jobs, because you need to get the hang of the technique. It’s precise work; if you’re rough with the crop you’ll soon cause damage.”Last summer they took part in the De Seizoensarbeiders project, set up by the
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BEJO ORGANIC MAGAZINE
