Annemarie Kruize on her role as Sales Manager

Organic farming as an eye-opener

Annemarie only came into contact with organic farming when she worked at an organic horticultural farm in Switzerland for her internship at the University of Applied Sciences and lived with the family there. “I opened the fridge and everything in it was organic. The fact that you can produce all those products without toxins and chemical fertilizers was such an eye-opener for me. My grandfather’s illness and that internship motivated me to work exclusively in an agricultural system where soil, animals, and people do not get sick. It is truly in my DNA.”

Helping farmers with crop breeding

Meanwhile, Annemarie has been working at De Bolster for fourteen years with great pleasure. As Sales Manager, she is mostly on the road maintaining contacts with customers. She does this at trade fairs and congresses, but also frequently in the field. “We sell our seeds through a large network of international distributors, and together with them, we look at what will be included in the assortment. They test new varieties we develop with growers and farmers abroad. So, I am often found in rural areas where farmers are cultivating, to provide feedback from practical experience back to our breeders.”

“I want to work on an agricultural system where soil, animals, and people do NOT get sick.”

Annemarie continues: “The varieties we breed always offer a solution to a problem that growers have. Think of diseases or, for example, a short shelf life. By breeding seeds, you are at the beginning of the chain. You truly help people move forward. For instance, we have now developed a pumpkin variety that has a long shelf life, meaning pumpkins are no longer rejected. Also, a tomato variety resistant to the notorious fungus Phytophthora (late blight) is coming to the market this year. With this, we want to make growing tomatoes possible without a greenhouse or tunnel.”

The power of nature

Annemarie firmly believes in the power of nature and working in harmony with it. “Adding everything artificially is, in my view, a dead end and harmful to soil life, groundwater, and human health. I want my children and grandchildren to be able to use fertile and healthy soil. Without the use of poisons and chemical fertilizers, you harvest products from a vital soil, and that has immense health benefits for us as humanity. I always compare it to our gut bacteria. You have to feed them well to stay healthy, as good gut function is important for our immune system. That is how it works with soil too. If you feed it in a good way, plants gain more resistance.”

Towards 100% organic seeds and agriculture

In her role as Sales Manager, Annemarie hopes to inform and inspire people. “There is still a lot of ignorance about the importance of organic farming. Many people don’t realize that organic gardening starts with the seeds. That conventional seeds contain harmful substances or can be genetically modified. My great wish is that in the future, garden centers will have a two-meter long rack with 100% organic seeds instead of 30%. That organic seeds and agriculture become the norm. Getting back to nature together.”