As important as data is, green fingers remain necessary

Brookberries has participated in 2 knowledge projects from the program LimburgAgrofood: Big Data and Healthy Food. With the results of these projects they started to investigate how different light spectra influence important ingredients of strawberries (e.g. antioxidant, Vit C). As a member of Fossa Eugenia, Brookberries is also involved in Top Zuid, a partnership between the four growers' associations in North Limburg. Together with the other ROMs and Top Zuid, LIOF is now a leader in the Food Value project. This project aims to link initiatives in the field of residual flows. The aim is to reduce food waste in the Netherlands.

A project of:  Nedermaas LBDF Ideas Fund

Marcel Dings, founder Brookberries

At the Cadbeia grower Brookberries in Beldfeld there is a cheerful bustle this morning. In the canteen, a mixed group of people is enjoying coffee and home-made dishes. HAS students are busy with their research. These are peak days in the strawberry season. Marcel Dings founded the company 20 years ago. Dings: "Working atmosphere is important to me. I like to see our employees going into the greenhouse with a smile on their face. If they feel comfortable they perform better. At our staff parties we play Limburg carnival hits as well as Polish and Romanian music. That creates a connection. We realize only too well that people are our capital.

Since 2008 he and his partner Peter van den Eertwegh have expanded Brookberries into a 20-hectare business, five of which have supplemental lighting. This makes it possible to grow the crop all year round, even in the winter months and early spring. The Fossa Eugenia growers' association is responsible for sales. The Netherlands is by far the leading producer of greenhouse strawberries. Brookberries is a pioneer in growing strawberries under LED light: there are no other projects of this size worldwide. Customer orientation and customization are key words for the company. Orders can be placed here until the evening. From the Westland it is quicker to England, but to Germany we easily gain half a day in 'freshness'

LIOF urged us as growers years ago to work together more. To work together on the regional vision for a strong greenhouse industry. As an extension of this Brookberries entered into two knowledge projects with LIOF. The first is a health project in cooperation with Maastricht University. We are getting older in our part of the world, and more and more people are concerned with health. Strawberries and other soft fruits are in the spotlight. But health claims for food are tricky. I wanted to know what healthy substances are in strawberries. The research showed that for us, the focus should be on vitamin C."

The second knowledge question concerns big data. "With the knowledge from the first track we wanted to investigate what differences we see when one variety is planted under three different light types. Students from the HAS are now collecting data on taste in different phases of cultivation. They do this both through taste panels and through a taste model of Wageningen University. In addition, they have measured in test trays how much fruit hangs. As growers, we know that if many fruits are hanging, the taste is less. In order to be able to substantiate this with data, the plant load results are now combined with the data from the taste tests.

Data are hot. They are becoming increasingly important for both growing and marketing products. But it is also quite an issue to determine whose data it actually is. When are you still talking about sharing knowledge and when does it become copying? We have become more critical in this respect. We, and that applies to all the growers affiliated with Fossa Eugenia, have always used data, for example by planning on the basis of previous productions. In fact, our scale demands that we work more with data to support production. To know even more specifically when and to what extent we need to bring water, temperature and nutrition. But as useful as this support is, the 'vent' remains leading. You'll still have to go into the greenhouse and exercise your green thumb.

The experience with LIOF is very valuable to me. We could probably have done it ourselves, but the projects with LIOF worked like a flywheel. They bring parties together and stimulate entrepreneurs to think about the future. The right guidance in developing your company's vision is an added value. If you realize that as a company you are ready for such a knowledge trajectory and all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.