A well-known saying goes that a neighbour's land only comes up for sale once. So when the opportunity arose, Tuinderij Boender seized it. "Not because growth is a goal in itself, but because owning land allows you to manage it more sustainably than rented land," Mart Boender explains.
© Tuinderij Boender
© Tuinderij Boender
In total, Tuinderij Boender's acreage in Piershil amounts to about 45 hectares. "Lollo Bionda, Lollo Rossa, Romaine lettuce, frisée, and red oak leaf lettuce make up our top five. Romaine lettuce sales in particular have shown solid growth in recent years," the lettuce grower says. "Last year was a very strong growing year. That is, of course, positive, but the downside is that it led to low prices, which now presents us with the challenge of optimising contracts."
"It was a year in which we were able to welcome new customers and continue supplying existing customers to their full satisfaction. The mix of customers from different segments taught us a lot and brought a nice dynamic to our work. The bulk of our sales is still aimed at wholesalers and exporters, but we now also have quite a few smaller cutting companies that know how to find us for mixed pallets," Mart says.
"An absolute highlight of 2024 was the investment in our new harvesting machine. In 2025, we were able to make full use of it, and that has really been a major improvement. Thanks to this investment, we can now work in a calmer, cleaner, and more labour-friendly way. The biggest benefit is not even in saving labour, but in job satisfaction. Our people no longer have to work on their knees in the mud; they are dry and out of the wind. Even on rainy days, the work was much more comfortable, and we noticed the difference in the atmosphere."
© Tuinderij Boender
This year, the lettuce grower plans to plant very early, allowing him to return to the market from late April or early May. "A major challenge this year will be how to continue growing lettuce with a shrinking range of available inputs. We also encounter very demanding consumers in the export markets. Except for a short period in autumn, we were able to remain reasonably aphid-free, but with fewer crop protection products, that will be a real challenge. That is why I am making a plea to politicians here, because ultimately that is where solutions will have to come from."
Mart will be present at Fruit Logistica and is happy to meet with anyone interested in his lettuce over a cup of coffee.
For more information:
Tuinderij Boender
Oudendijk 8
3265 AD Piershil
+31 (0) 6 11 15 73 54
[email protected]
www.tuinderijboender.nl
