V&F Seeds in the Netherlands has a first: a brand-new Italian machine that sorts seeds by color. That is different from other machines that do that based on the seed's shape and weight. It is a serious step for brothers Bram and Jan Heijboer, who run the company. This new machine means the company they started less than three years ago does not have to stand back to the big multinationals in the seed world.
F.l.t.r: Bram, Joost, and Jan in front of the spanking new machine from Italy. Peanut Color Sorter
Unique The season starts at this SKAL-certified family business in about February. "We always hope to be around by late December," begins Bram. The breeders request seeds, which V&F Seeds produces for them. The company actively engages with growers, working on a contract basis. They produce and clean vegetable seeds, including spinach, beets, cabbage, radishes, carrots, and lettuce. But they also do flower seeds. "V&F Seeds is unique; there aren't many companies that do the same."
A new warehouse is under construction, with the last flowering fields to the left.
The brothers got the chance to take over Pieter den Haan's company when he decided to stop his propagation business in the Dutch town of Steenbergen. Bram and Jan moved the company 20 minutes away to Scherpenisse, where they already have a farm. The brothers are not entirely unfamiliar with the seed world. Bram has worked in the sector for years, and Jan has experience with seed cultivation via his farm.
They work in an existing warehouse and bought all the machines they use. Those machines are not local; one even comes from as far as India, and the latest - a 3U Vision - is from Italy. "Networking is paramount and, actually, super fun. Someone from, for example, India could tell someone from America to contact the Dutch company V&F Seeds," says Bram. The machines process 75% vegetable and 25% flower seeds.
State-of-the-art Italian machine Several companies offer similar machines, by the brother went to Italy for theirs, where they found someone who could supply the perfect machine. "We can fully fine-tune it, and it delivers the best quality. The machine uses the latest camera technology and takes pictures of the seeds. Via the computer, you can then set exactly which seeds should removed and which should stay," says Jan.
The machine's screen: the red dots are seeds that must be removed, and the green ones are seeds that are good to go.
Filling a "recipe book" To run the machine smoothly, the company has a special little room that houses the computer. They can set its delay time, and V&F Seeds works with a recipe book.' That is an overview of machine settings for each specific type of seed. It has many entries, and Bram expects to reach 300-400 recipes next year. Joost, one of Bram's sons, works as a forklift driver at the company during his vacations and is responsible for 'feeding' the machine.
The top bag contains dirt, removed by the new machine. The bottom one is clean seed, sorted into one color.
The brothers can add cameras to the machine if they want. "With the new camera, we can inspect the seeds' inside to see if they're germinating," Jan explains. The men are increasingly getting to know the machine they have owned since June. "We've chosen to create our own recipes and not depend on the manufacturer for those. This way, we'll soon know to use the machine optimally," Bram adds.
As soon as the machine was installed at V&F Seeds, the two noticed companies placing orders they could now fulfill well. In January, when it is quieter, the machine slows down too. Breeders wanting seeds cleaned then can contact Bram and Jan. The machine, which sometimes processes seed batches even at night, can thus continue running optimally.
What about government regulations? How are government regulations affecting the company? They do not answer the brothers; they can work freely. It is only crop protection regulations that concern them. "Being allowed to use less and less chemical plant protection products mean yields will decline, and harvests will fail," Bram concludes.
For more information: V&F Seeds Bobbeweelweg 4, 4694 RA Scherpenisse, the Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0) 655 593 338 Email: info@vfseeds.nl http://vfseeds.com/
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