The picking of the new cranberry harvest on Terschelling is almost complete. After last year's heavy rainfall, this year's harvest shows some recovery, but Arnoud Kramer of Terschellinger Cranberries emphasizes that the current season should still be regarded mainly as a transitional year. "We started picking back in September and expect to harvest around 55 tonnes. That's a big improvement on last year's 8 tons, but not yet the level we ultimately want."
© Terschellinger Cranberries
"The damage from last year is still having an effect," he points out. "Because of the wet period, large areas of heath have died off, especially in the Koegelwieck and Douwes Plak. The cranberry is a bog plant, so it can tolerate a lot, but the plants need time to recover. That is why we really consider this season an intermediate year, which says nothing about the quality, because we are very satisfied with that. Only we are using this period to improve our processes and prepare for the future. With larger yields, everything has to become more efficient: transport, storage, processing. So this year we are carrying out all kinds of tests and improvements. This fits into the 10-year plan we have drawn up as a company."
"We also work closely with the Forestry Commission, because we lease our land from them, and the cooperation runs very well," Arnoud continues. "The heathlands are under pressure from overgrowth, and according to European rules, heathland must remain heathland. If you don't maintain it, it becomes a forest. Healthy heathland is good for biodiversity and for our cranberry fields. Our pickers also contribute. When they pick by hand through the field, they comb up the old wood, so to speak. Then we mow at a fixed height to remove the dead material. In this way, we restore the heathland and give the cranberry plants room to grow again. It is nice that our work contributes to nature management. In addition, they help us with a light tracked mower that gently removes the clippings without damaging the soil surface. This helps enormously in maintaining the fields. In this way, we create a win-win situation for both parties."
Extending shelf life in ULO storage
In terms of sales, Terschellinger Cranberries mainly supplies Dutch and Belgian organic chains such as Odin and Ekoplaza. "Our berries grow in the wild, in the middle of a Natura 2000 area, and are picked entirely by hand. That makes them 100 per cent organic. We don't supply to big supermarkets; our volumes are too small for that, and the manual work makes it too expensive. Automation is not an option because we are not allowed to enter the nature reserve with machines. Everything has to be done by hand. That is labour-intensive, but it suits our way of working and contributes to the maintenance of the area. Still, we can achieve good sales with our current partners."
Sales are mainly focused on processed products such as juice, compote, and sauce. This is because the market for fresh cranberries is still limited. "However, we are working hard to strengthen our position in the fresh market. We have someone who sorts and packs the berries into small packages. They are sorted by colour, size, and ripeness, and then stored in a ULO environment, which extends their shelf life. This allows us to serve the fresh market longer and more consistently."
© Terschellinger Cranberries
Distinctive in taste and freshness
This, of course, involves major competition from North America, for example. "Nevertheless, I am convinced that Terschelling's cranberries are very distinctive compared to the imported berries from North America. There, cranberries are harvested wet, while ours grow dry in the wild. This results in a lot of variation in shape and size, as well as a more intense, fresher flavour. In addition, they are packed with antioxidants. Moreover, our carbon footprint is much smaller. Our berries only need to travel by boat from Terschelling to Harlingen, not across the ocean."
"For me, it's not just about our business, but about the whole island. If the cranberries and nature are doing well, Terschelling is doing well. We work together with many parties, and the great thing is that everyone is now thinking in the same direction. Both we and the Forestry Commission have limited resources, but by working together we can really make progress, so I hope that in this 'gap year' we can lay a solid foundation for the future."
For more information:
Arnoud Kramer
Terschellinger Cranberries
Mersakkersweg 5
8894 KX Formerum
Tel: 0562 448800
[email protected]
www.terschellingercranberry.nl
