Working @ the Farm
Harvest Heroes
During the pear harvest of 2020, 21 students went to work for organic fruit grower William Pouw. The students thoroughly enjoyed working outdoors and learned a lot about large-scale food production. The picking group was a good mixed group of Dutch and foreigners, from students who already have an idea of what needs to change in our food system to young people for whom it is a new topic. This led to interesting conversations with fruit grower William Pouw who stopped by regularly.
Read more about the experience and stories of the 2020 Harvest Heroes.
In 2021, we will continue to work on this in collaboration with the initiative The Seasonal Workers.
Pear harvest 2021
It was exciting for a while because the pears are now ripening very quickly due to heat of the past three weeks, the pickers could also see this on the pears and thus learn a lot about the influence of climate on the harvest of organic pear grower William Pouw. The start of the harvest therefore had to be adjusted at the last minute. And William was happy with the extra hands to make sure that all the pears were picked before they fell off the tree.
In 2021, the second edition of Harvest Heroes started in the orchards of Schalkwijk. With more than 20 pickers, the event also gathered several international students who wanted to learn about Dutch agriculture and regional culture.
Shake the hand that feeds you
In 2018, Utrecht University students and Local2Local collaborators Cris Arribas and Danika Moore had an idea: Working @ the Farm. A platform that pairs young talent with farmers and producers, for honest and useful work on the farm, for sustainable challenges, for research and for knowledge exchange. “Grow students beyond the classroom.”
Local2Local Talents was established directly from their idea and Working @ the Farm is anchored in it. Naturally.
Cris Arribas and Danika Moore explain: “The globalized food system has become unsustainable, a significant shift to local food chains is necessary. The number of farmers in the Netherlands is decreasing and there is less and less interest among the new generation to continue the profession. A lack of awareness of the importance of local products leads consumers to products that are readily available. This is what we want to change.”
Vegetable Garden Dijkzigt
Local2Local partnered with Jan and Willemke of organic farm Tijnderij Dijkzigt in Rijswijk and the Utrecht University student community of Groentetas to grow their own organic vegetables and source most of the vegetable products from Local2Local and Groentetas for customers.
This collaboration is a win-win on several levels: Jan and Willemke can count on help from a group of dedicated volunteers who work sowing, planting and harvesting, students get to work in the fields, learning from farming but also contributing their knowledge, customers of Local2Local and Groentetas know exactly what they are buying and where it comes from. All these factors make this organic farm viable on quality, transparency and price.
Kiwi harvest
Can you believe it? Dutch kiwis and kiwi trees. Organic even. Better yet, they are unique in the Netherlands, grown primarily by the Local2Local farm Nieuw Slagmaat in Bunnik, located a stone’s throw from Amped’s headquarters. Nieuw Slagmaat experimented with cultivating these exotic fruits in 2016. Now they are here permanently. Our teams helped with the harvest and educating the public about growing kiwis in the Netherlands!
Fruit harvest
Every September and October, many fruit growers need help picking and packing the new crop. It’s simple work, but honest and fun because you do it together. You get to know the farm, you’re outside, you feel the season at its best. What more could you want?
Contact us to discuss options and availability.
Cherry harvest
There are only a few real cherry farms left in the Utrecht region, their demand for helping hands peaks around harvest time. But it doesn’t stop there. One grower in particular, Theo Vernooij of De Kersentuin, is famous for his annual Cherry Festival in Cothen, the largest of its kind in Europe. We’ve worked together with De Kersentuin for local sales, events and incorporating cherry sales into the activities schedule of the clients of care institute Reinaerde.
