Hello, I'm Peter, a grower for Coöperatie Hoogstraten since 1992. I inherited the interest in horticulture from home. My parents grew strawberries, gherkins, sprouts, leeks, and tomatoes. After my higher technical education at the horticultural school in Hoogstraten, I worked for about 6 years, including at the Proefcentrum in Hoogstraten. This further increased my interest in horticulture and, above all, the desire to undertake something on an independent basis. In 1992, I started growing cucumbers. During my search for diversification, I started growing snack cucumbers on a very small scale in 2011. However, due to the sky-high energy prices in recent years, I have been increasingly looking for less energy-intensive crops. This led to the planting of kiwiberries in 2013 and a field of blueberries in 2015. Through Coöperatie Hoogstraten and Ghent University, I came into contact with kiwiberry cultivation. Energy-friendly and innovative, this cultivation was the ideal challenge for us. The combination of the different crops is not always obvious, but this variation makes our work interesting. This diversity does require very tight planning. The summer months are the busiest, as all crops are at their peak in terms of harvest. Kiwiberries are harvested in bunches, after which the berries are removed from their stems and immediately sorted and packaged to size. This is all done manually to prevent damage. The pruning of both blueberries and kiwiberries fits well into our schedule because we do not grow cucumbers from the beginning of November to mid-January, and this is the ideal period for pruning. Pollination of flowers also requires the necessary attention. This is done with bees, bumblebees, and solitary bees (wild bees). All our products are traded by Coöperatie Hoogstraten. Since a lot of attention is paid to the cultivation and quality of the fruit on our farm, it is important for us that we can count on a reliable partner in the sale of our products. Hoogstraten also stands for quality, and this fits perfectly with our vision. In my spare time, I and some friends are busy brewing beer. We have founded our own brewery, called De Boeretang. Furthermore, I am also active in community life, including the Landelijke Gilde. Enjoy your meal!