The AspergeSpin carries the harvested asparagus
Come over to the white side
Due to the warm and sunny weather Laurenz was even forced to slow the growth down. "Coordinated foil management was used to slow down the harvest," says the grower, "That means we take the tunnel of the asparagus bed and turn the double-coated foil from the dark to the white side. This way we could keep the asparagus quality at a consistent level. We want to stop the asparagus growing too fast and becoming too big. The quality of asparagus suffers under temperature fluctuations, for instance if it is warm during the day and cold at night."
Inventory expansion in the future
The three asparagus harvesting machines were an investment in the future, a way for the farm to cope with the future rise of the minimum wage. "Harvesting with the asparagus harvesting machines works out fine. We are very pleased with the outcome and efficiency," said Johannes Laurenz, "Our workers can work easily with the machines, and we want to expand our portfolio of harvesters in the future."
Johannes Laurenz showing the first asparagus crop with his niece Charlotte and his partner Katharina Kock
50 percent more sales
The direct marketing of its asparagus at the farm already has been a success this season. "Our direct marketing worked this season better than ever," Lawrence says happily, "Compared to last year, we have achieved around 50 percent more revenue in the first week, through direct marketing." At the farm Laurenz sells his class I asparagus for 12,90 Euro/kg. Class II and III are about seven and eight Euros. Lawrence claims that he still sees potential for the sale of asparagus in supermarkets: "Sale in retail is not going strong."
"Slow sales in the supermarket an artificial problem"
The farm supplies several regional Edeka and Rewe supermarkets and a small supply to food wholesalers. "The slow sales in food retail is an artificial problem," says Johannes Laurenz, "Retailers are trying to keep prices high. They are looking to buy cheap, but sell the asparagus at a high price to the customer." And many customers are waiting for prices to drop. According to the farmer, "The supermarkets want make sure that prices don’t drop to fast and put a bit of pressure on the farmers. And supermarkets know that if the prices are low, the chances are it won’t climb again." Laurenz believes that early next week the first really large amounts of asparagus will reach the market: "Then the prices will plummet."
Johnannes Laurenz
Hof Schulze Blasum
Blasum 1, 59368 Werne
Tel. +49 (0) 2389 52260
j.laurenz@hofschulzeblasum.de
www.hofschulzeblasum.de