At R.L. De Vries and Son, Dutch outdoor lettuce has made way for the first French lettuce. The Heemskerk-based grower began working with a grower in southern France 15 years ago and continues to collaborate with the same partner. "This transition aligns perfectly with our summer season, allowing us to supply customers year-round," says Douwe de Vries.
Douwe represents the fourth generation of the De Vries family to grow vegetables in Heemskerk. In earlier years, the range included a broad assortment of vegetables, such as endive, spinach, rhubarb, leeks, and kale. In recent years, however, Douwe and his father Ramon have increasingly focused on growing lettuce varieties. "Romaine lettuce, in particular, has gained popularity in recent years, while the supply of oak leaf lettuce is decreasing. The cultivation of Lollo Bionda and Lollo Rossa has remained fairly stable."
De Vries also imports Lollo Bionda, Lollo Rossa, and red oak leaf lettuce from France. "We used to import frisée as well, but that market remains relatively small, and we prefer a steady flow of products. Ideally, we would also source Romaine lettuce from France, but it's not yet widely grown there," Douwe explains. At De Vries, the French season runs from November to April, "which connects seamlessly to the Dutch season when we start with the early varieties at the end of April."
The grower reflects on the Dutch season with satisfaction. "We started much earlier than last year and immediately had good quality. Our advantage is growing on sandy soil here. We've invested heavily in effective drainage, allowing us to get back on the land quickly. We are also raising a few plots, which can sometimes make all the difference. We were fortunate this year, as rain showers often missed us, while we heard from colleagues that there was a lot of aphid pressure; we didn't suffer much from that ourselves."
According to Douwe, pest control is one of the big challenges for the future. "We managed well this year, but I'm not sure what the future holds. We can use Movento for one more year, but what happens after that is uncertain. I still hope a solution will come along. One advantage of our lettuce varieties compared to iceberg lettuce is that we have an open crop, which allows us to make good use of contact agents."
Douwe notes that competition has only decreased over the years. "There are only colleagues quitting, and new ones aren't really coming in." Although the grower strives to make the process as efficient as possible, each head of lettuce is still harvested by hand. "We work with a team of permanent employees and temporary workers, and they're incredibly fast. Harvesting machines still don't beat that," he laughs.
De Vries serves a diverse clientele. "Our lettuce goes in all directions—from catering companies to slicers, supermarkets, and exporters. That diversity is fantastic. If one channel is slower, another picks up. The best part is that we can supply our customers with high-quality lettuce year-round thanks to imports from France. This consistency pays off, as we have a loyal customer base and, for now, we're busy enough to meet all demand."
For more information:
Douwe de Vries
R.L. De Vries and son
Krochtweg 10
1969 MB Heemskerk
Mob: +316 52726797
[email protected]
www.verslavendlekker.com