The future is urban. With a growing population clustering together in large cities increasingly often, the question arises more and more strongly: how are we going to feed all of these people? Although the area of vertical production is nowhere near sufficient yet to feed, for example, the Randstad in the western Netherlands, the development of this new way of production isn’t standing still either.
In 2011, John Apesos and Jens Ruijg of GROWx opened the first commercial vertical farm in the Netherlands. They grow dozens of varieties of micro and leafy vegetables. Every day, fresh vegetables leave the vertical farm for prominent eating establishments in Amsterdam.
Hitting the road
Their working day starts at 8 in the morning. The team works on sowing, harvesting and packing the vegetables until the afternoon. In the afternoon, they hit the road to deliver the products to customers and to get feedback. “Freshness is very important. We make sure the harvested vegetables are delivered to the customer within 24 hours,” John says. “Most customers order twice per week. According to our customers, the GROWx products have a longer shelf life than vegetables grown outdoors or in greenhouses. Their shelf life in kitchens is about 2 or 3 days.” Hugo Engels is sous chef at restaurant Taiko in the Conservatorium Hotel, and one of the buyers of GROWx vegetables. “The products have a pure flavour and a longer shelf life. Besides, we think it’s important to support local initiatives such as GROWx,” he says.
Are consumers waiting for high-tech vegetables from a food factory? “People sometimes romanticise the production of vegetables. Reality is different. Consumers mostly want nutritious, fair food that hasn’t been sprayed with pesticides. With a vertical farm, we can easily control the environment and limit the chance of diseases,” John says.
Photo: John Apesos, CEO and co-founder of GROWx
Beloved by chefs
Micro-vegetables are actually just crops harvested at an early stage. Because of this, they’re very flavourful. “Chefs love them, they use them as functional garnishing,” John says. “In the past, people in restaurants used a sprig of parsley or mint to add colour to a dish. Nowadays, chefs are practically artists. It’s all about perfect artworks on plates. They pay attention to colour, flavour and structure to that end.”
John personally doesn’t have an agrarian background. During his travels he saw the consequences of climate change with his own eyes. After studying business administration, he worked for an LED company and became involved with various start-ups. That’s how he ended up in the capital city of the Netherlands. Why Amsterdam? John smiles. “Sometimes people think I got the idea in America, but the opposite is true. The Netherlands is the hot spot when it comes to horticulture. The University of Wageningen is known all over the world, as are Dutch seed companies and horticultural suppliers. All of this is within a 150-kilometre radius. People from all over the world come here to learn about horticulture. Besides, the Netherlands has an excellent innovational climate.”
Plans for the future
The vertical farm in Amsterdam currently consists of 250 m2. John says there are plans to grow 5 to 10 times as big. Production should then supply a larger area. However, export isn’t up for debate. “Our goal is to provide the city with locally grown food. When we continue expanding, it will be by opening a location in a different region.”