Why I am committed to De Bolster

Grandfather’s poison cabinet

I can still smell it when I think back: the sharp, chemical odor of the old poison cabinet in the shed. That cabinet was still there, even when I lived there as a child with my family – on the yard where De Bolster is now located. As a child, I often walked past it. I’ve never forgotten that scent.

My grandfather passed away from Parkinson’s. The link between agricultural pesticides and Parkinson’s is being demonstrated more and more frequently. It stands as a symbol for an agricultural system that has stalled. A system that runs on artificial fixes, depends on chemical agents and fossil raw materials – and is becoming increasingly removed from nature.

The consequences are visible: the soil is becoming exhausted, biodiversity is declining, toxins are present in much of our food, and nutritional values have dropped. In the Netherlands, we also struggle with polluted water and a nitrogen problem, putting nature under further pressure. It is becoming increasingly clear how harmful this system is – for the health of both people and the planet.

This system is not good for the producers, not good for the eaters, and not good for the planet.

Convinced of Organic

I am convinced that the agriculture of the future is 100% organic. Working from a healthy soil, with the power of nature, and with more variety and biodiversity. Using strong varieties that do not depend on artificial inputs. And with healthier food, as part of a more plant-based diet. This is not an ideal; organic farming already exists and proves itself every single day.

My grandfather had a mixed farm. My father switched to an organic vegetable business with farm-gate sales on that same yard. In 2007, my father, Patrick Hoogendoorn, and I took over the seed company De Bolster. We established it in that same location. This brought us back to our roots: my father is a plant breeder by origin, and we focused entirely on developing 100% organic vegetable varieties.

Working on the varieties of tomorrow

Breeding is a long-term endeavor. But it is also the beginning of everything. Seed by seed, we are building an agricultural system that is healthy for the producers, the eaters, and the planet. And that is what I commit myself to every day with full conviction.