Stefan Koetsier on seed quality: “Good is not good enough”

Never saying no

We want satisfied customers, and that means: seeds that are in stock and that sprout. “There are standard requirements, but at De Bolster, we always go one step further,” Stefan explains. We sell more than 300 varieties, and for each variety, we set specific quality standards. In terms of stock, we never want to say ‘no’ to customers. We replenish dwindling stock as quickly as possible. Of course, it sometimes happens that there is a sudden massive demand for a specific variety. We cannot always respond to that immediately. What we do then is be open and transparent and indicate when we expect to have stock again. This allows the customer to judge for themselves whether it makes sense to wait.”

“When I learned about the chemicals used in conventional agriculture that you consume as a consumer, I started looking at things differently.”

The large cleaning line

Before the seeds reach the consumer, they travel a long way. Stefan: “Depending on the crop, we dry and test the seeds as quickly as possible after they come off the field. Here, for example, we test whether they contain certain viruses, bacteria, or fungi. After that, the large volumes of seeds, along with materials like leaves, twigs, and weeds, go into the large cleaning line. These are new machines we have purchased because we continue to grow as a company and therefore need more capacity. Each crate can hold a cubic meter, which the tilting machine tilts automatically; then the seeds go up with a kind of lift and are sieved several times and passed over an air blower. This allows us to separate the good seeds from the rest.”

Great job satisfaction

Stefan is proud of his work: “I think it’s wonderful what I can mean for the company and the organic sector. I grew up on a conventional farm and started here as a holiday worker. When I learned about the chemicals in conventional agriculture that you consume as a consumer, I started looking at things differently. It’s quite strange that we have come to find those chemicals normal. What I like so much about De Bolster is that you have many growth opportunities. They really look at your talent here. A few years ago, they saw that as a cleaning employee I was constantly busy improving things, making sure things went faster, without increasing work pressure. They then offered me this position. The colleagues are nice and I always enjoy going to work. Even if I could earn twice as much somewhere else, I wouldn’t just leave.”