- Floréac and the end customer

Anything given time, space, light and love tastes like more. At flower bulb nursery Fleuriche, tulip, daffodil and hyacinth bulbs are given time to grow. Slow brewing Co- -owner Hein Van Haaster likes to compare the delicate brewing process to slow cooking. A favourite preparation method among Michelinstarred chefs. Says it all, right? A look behind the scenes of this young supplier.

More than 100 years of flower bulbs in the genes

Hein Van Haaster, co-owner of Fleuriche, grew up among flower bulbs. For more than a hundred years, his family has been a household name in the sector. The family business H. M. Van Haaster focuses primarily on growing and exporting flower bulbs. Hein wanted to take it a step further. “Five years ago I started a bulb forcing business with ,” he explains. “For me, that was a logical move to also serve this link in the chain, namely the production of potted bulbs. After two years, I bumped into my limits. I wanted to grow and invest in a bigger greenhouse. An expensive undertaking, especially since you only use that greenhouse for a few months in the year.”

Win-win for Fleuriche and van der Salm

“Sometimes everything falls into place. I found out that Paul van der Salm was looking for a use for his greenhouse during winter periods. Just that period I needed a greenhouse. So, why not work together? Moreover, there were factors at play that were interesting for both parties. Van der Salm’s quiet period corresponds to our peak period, which means we can use their infrastructure as well as their workforce. The advantage for them? Year-round production. A win-win, in other words.*

Slow brewing

Today, Fleuriche controls the entire flower bulb supply chain. “We are quite unique in this,” Hein says proudly. “It gives us a strong position in the sector. After all, we have more control over the final product and set the bar high. The biggest difference from other hatcheries? With us, the bulbs are given time, space, light and water to grow. Again, thanks to van der Salm’s ultramodern greenhouse. A spacious greenhouse where our bulbs are given the chance to grow slowly. Up to two or three weeks instead of the usual two or three days. I sometimes compare it to slow cooking. A technique where you cook a piece of meat ultra slowly, for example, which intensifies the flavours. A similar process takes place with our bulbs. They are better adapted, stronger, have more vivid colours resulting in stronger and healthier plants.”

Sustainability and innovation go hand in hand

Fleuriche and van der Salm share the same vision of sustainable and innovative cultivation. “The two are also inextricably linked,” Hein explains. “Van der Salm is quite advanced in automation and digitalisation and we reap the benefits of this. But we also make a lot of efforts ourselves. To give an example: our bulb shed is one of the first sheds in the Netherlands to be hybrid . To dry our bulbs, we generate as much energy as possible via heat pumps, which in turn are powered by solar energy. The cold stores also run on green electricity. To process and dry our bulbs in the summer, we use a lot of energy in the form of heat. We used to generate this heat by burning gas. In the new barn, we mainly use heat pumps that convert electricity into heat for this purpose. Most of the electricity is generated by two thousand solar panels on our roof. The same applies to the cold stores.

By strategically choosing slow brewing, we consume less energy anyway. Because the product grows more slowly at a lower temperature, which is slightly higher than the outside temperature. We also use water sparingly. In outdoor cultivation, the irrigation is underground. We never have to water from above , even in extremely dry periods. By irrigating underground, the water evaporates less and less is lost. In the greenhouse itself, we reuse the water that is not absorbed by the plant.”

Sustainable breeding is also embedded in the breeding process. “We mainly select varieties that are resistant to certain diseases. In this way, we significantly reduce the use of pesticides. In the greenhouses themselves, we don’t use them anyway. We are now mainly focusing on varieties that are fully resistant so that in the long run pesticides will no longer be necessary.

We also use recyclable jars made of PCR material and even jars made of sunflower seeds. Only the latter are not so popular because of their high cost price. All our efforts ensure a high score on MPS and MPS-SQ. Today a must do business.”

Working together on the basis of a shared vision

Talking about business. Fleuriche is a relatively new partner of Floréac. How does this young scion view the partnership? “We only met last year and it clicked immediately. Floréac is one of the forerunners in the market. We share the same progressive vision and have already taken some great steps together. Especially our added value, the bulbs in a pot or pan, is doing well. Last year, we secured some nice orders for the English market through them. I am a great believer in the triangle: grower, Floréac and end customer. If the communication is good and you as a customer can explain the philosophy behind your growing process, beautiful things happen.”

Growing beauty

Beautiful things, that’s what Hein does it for. “Flower bulbs are part of my roots. I am still proud of what I do every day. In March and April, when all the flower bulb fields here are in bloom, the whole world looks at us. You plant a piece of happiness in people. It is a piece of culture that we should continue to cherish. I do that every day, also looking forward to tomorrow. Somewhere I dream that my daughters will continue my work. In an even more sustainable way, without pesticides and independent of fossil energy. That is the path I want to take.”

*Please also read the interview with Wietse Bakhuizen van der Salm on page 8

Where ? Boskoop (NL)

What ? Daffodil, tulip and hyacinth bulbs (in pots)

Employed ? One permanent employee supplemented by labour from van der Salm

Sales market ? Europe