Hello, I am Lode Meert, a kiwiberry producer for Hoogstraten since 2010. I was born and raised in the sector. My parents had a fruit company and from this innate interest in fruit, I received horticultural training. After I took over, I expanded the parental business further. Cherries, cherries, peaches and kiwiberries were added as crops to have a more complete range. The kiwiberry is the ideal complement to my other crops, as kiwiberry are an environmentally friendly berry for the autumn, while most other berries are available in spring and summer. I came into contact with the kiwiberry when Filip Debersaques of Hogeschool Gent set up a study club around the kiwiberry. The combination of the different fruits makes for a busy agenda, but it's just a matter of planning. The early kiwiberry variety Geneva is picked before the pears, Weiki and Jumbo are picked after the pears and Ken's Red is picked in between the apple picking. Around 08.00 in the morning, 4 pickers start cutting the bunches of kiwis from the plants. The berries are cut loose and the leaves are removed in the field. They are filled into low boxes and are then taken to the cold store as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, 6 sorters are busy calibrating the berries in different thicknesses. The beautiful, hard berries are carefully placed in punnets of 125 g. After being weighed, the punnets are provided with a lid and put in the refrigerator. Ripe berries are made into jam the same day. Rough, too small and misshapen berries are weighed in 3 kg boxes and are processed by customers into syrup, liqueur and other delicacies. For me, the Hoogstraten quality brand means selling a beautiful product in an honest way at a good price.