‘The Klispoel’ is the only watercress nursery in the Netherlands. Owner Norbert Vermeulen came into the business through the trout farm of his parents. In 1970 he began the cultivation of watercress, first at the trout farm and later at a small piece of land in Wijchen. Cindy Vermeulen of The Klispoel notes that more and more consumers are becoming familiar with the product, which is mainly sold to wholesalers and organic shops, supermarkets and restaurants.
The watercress of Klispoel is grown organically and is cultivated in open-air water basins. In each basin clear spring water, originating in a nearby moraine, flows from a pipe. Watercress feeds primarily on nutrients contained in the water. The water is of constant temperature (11 - 13 ° C). "This way the watercress is kept warm in winter and cool in summer," explains Cindy. During the winter plastic tunnels are placed to protect the crop from frost.
The harvest runs from early March until Christmas. The watercress is packed at the nursery itself: typically in bags of 75 or 100 grams. Watercress can be eaten raw, boiled or stir-fried, but is also widely used in salads, soups and sauces, or on a cheese sandwich.
www.klispoel.nl
