Wiel Friesen is known for cultivating asparagus. This Dutch grower, however, also grows parsnips and salsify on his farm, Aspergeboerderij Friesen, in the winter and fall. "We'd been looking for a product to cultivate in winter alongside the salsify."
"We've been cultivating that for 20 years. But, demand is declining somewhat. We ended up with parsnips," he says. Both salsify and parsnip are harvested between September and March. So, they complement the asparagus crop well. Wiel sells most of these winter vegetables via the ZON Growers Association auction.
Disappointing
Parsnip sales were disappointing in early January. These mostly find their way to restaurants. "The season was reasonable. Despite the hospitality industry closure, there was great demand around Christmas. Because of the lockdown, the market wasn't as good in January." Salsify, too, mainly goes to the eateries. Yet, its demand is slightly better. "These sales are a little better than the parsnips," continues Wiel.
"They reached better prices in the fall too." Despite the disappointing parsnip and salsify sales, the grower remains optimistic about the current season. "We assume there will be room again in February and that we'll manage to sell all our parsnips and salsify." Both these products can be cold stored. And Wiel expects the Easter holidays to stimulate the market too. "The holidays always boost demand," he explains.
Consumer packaging
Friesen admits the consumer market could prove difficult for parsnip sales in the future. "This is only the second year we're growing these. Maybe next year, everything will hopefully be back to normal. Then we can focus on packing 500g parsnips for the consumer market." The grower has ample experience in this area already. Asparagus sales increased during the pandemic. "Our farm sales of asparagus rose significantly; by about 70%," he says.
Friesen also produces salsify
Solution-orientated
Parsnip and salsify cultivation, too, is feeling the effects of the ban on the allowed use of various crop protection products. "It doesn't make it easy and poses challenges," says Wiel. Son, Angelo, adds, "The focus is increasingly shifting to a different cultivation system. One that emphasizes disease prevention rather than disease control. This kind of farming is set up very differently. With, for example, wider rows to prevent the spread of diseases."
Also, Wiel more often controls weeds mechanically. And to cultivate parsnips and salsify, the grower selects high-lying plots. Their sandy soil makes winter harvesting easier. To keep the soil healthy, Wiel rotates his crops. He only grows these vegetables on the same field once every five years. Despite all the challenges, the grower is not considering changing paths. "We tackle all the obstacles because we want to keep going. We're solution-oriented," Friesen concludes.
Aspergeboerderij Friesen
M: +31 (0)6 - 53651456
www.aspergeboerderij-friesen.nl
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