{"id":3985,"date":"2024-04-01T08:20:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-01T06:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bio.bolster.nl\/?p=3985"},"modified":"2026-06-23T16:43:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T14:43:46","slug":"annemarie-kruize-on-her-role-as-sales-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bio.bolster.nl\/en\/annemarie-kruize-on-her-role-as-sales-manager\/","title":{"rendered":"Annemarie Kruize on her role as Sales Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Annemarie Kruize on her role as Sales Manager<\/h1>\n

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Annemarie remembers it well. How as a child she walked through the fields with her grandfather, who was a potato inspector in the Noordoostpolder. How on a warm summer day she looked up at the small plane spraying \u201cwater\u201d overhead. Annemarie: \u201cI wanted us to get soaked by that water, but my grandfather insisted we get out of the field as quickly as possible. I wasn’t allowed to touch the plants either. Later he developed Parkinson’s, and at the time we didn’t really understand why. With the knowledge we have today, it was quite logical.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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Organic farming as an eye-opener<\/h2>\n

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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. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Helping farmers with crop breeding<\/h2>\n

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. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI want to work on an agricultural system where soil, animals, and people do NOT get sick.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Annemarie continues: \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

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Working together on our mission<\/h2>\n

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Breeding is a long-term process and can take ten to fifteen years. Consequently, the relationships Annemarie builds with her customers are long-term ones. \u201cThe quality and delivery reliability also mean that De Bolster is not simply interchangeable,\u201d Annemarie explains. \u201cIf you order now, you know you will actually receive the seeds and that they are highly germinable. And all that is thanks to my hard-working colleagues in the Production and Quality departments. I am very proud to be part of this company as Sales Manager. I also find it fantastic to see how many people wanted to become part of our company when we decided to become a cooperative at the end of 2022. There is so much enthusiasm among our members to build our mission together.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n

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The power of nature<\/h2>\n

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Annemarie firmly believes in the power of nature and working in harmony with it. \u201cAdding 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Towards 100% organic seeds and agriculture<\/h2>\n

In her role as Sales Manager, Annemarie hopes to inform and inspire people. \u201cThere 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

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Latest news<\/h2>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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\u201cI find it absolutely fascinating to watch seeds germinate and eventually grow into beautiful crops\u201d<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\u201cI find it absolutely fascinating to watch seeds germinate and eventually grow into beautiful crops\u201d<\/h3>\n

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\u201cWith organic innovation, we help both organic and conventional growers move forward\u201d<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\u201cWith organic innovation, we help both organic and conventional growers move forward\u201d<\/h3>\n

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\u201cThanks to the heated greenhouse, we can breed and react to the market much faster\u201d<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\u201cThanks to the heated greenhouse, we can breed and react to the market much faster\u201d<\/h3>\n

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\u201cA transition never happens overnight\u201d<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\u201cA transition never happens overnight\u201d<\/h3>\n

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\u201cOrganic growing comes from the heart, not just a business perspective\u201d<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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\u201cOrganic growing comes from the heart, not just a business perspective\u201d<\/h3>\n

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\u201cThe great thing about customer service is that in the morning, I don’t yet know what I’ll be doing that day\u201d<\/h3>\n <\/div>\n
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