Strawberry breakfast in new greenhouse at Van Tuyl Nursery

On Saturday, a strawberry breakfast was held in the new greenhouse at Kwekerij van Tuyl in Zaltbommel. The breakfast was initiated by Geert-Jan van Tuijl and for the first time marked the opening of Kom in de Kas in the Bommelerwaard.

Click here for the photo report of the strawberry breakfast and KIDK 2025.

© Thijmen Tiersma | HortiDaily.comThe strawberry breakfast attracted participants of Kom in de Kas, sponsors, neighbors, the mayor, and also a handful of photographers to the greenhouse of Kwekerij van Tuyl.

The breakfast table was arranged in the strawberry growers' new greenhouse. Last year, the family business, managed by Geert-Jan and his brother Kees, with their father Toon still actively participating, replaced an old greenhouse with a new, taller one.

Kwekerij van Tuyl has been producing strawberries in both greenhouses for several weeks. They are cultivating the everbearing variety Lady Emma, which began harvesting on March 10, and the Sonsation variety.

The older and the new greenhouse are built against each other, with a notable feature in both greenhouses being a double screen. Not all strawberry growers have this. At Kwekerij van Tuyl, it originates from the pepper cultivation they had until 2021.

On Saturday, the most striking feature in the newest greenhouse, for those who noticed it beside the breakfast table on the concrete path, was a double screen cloth. This is not yet a common practice in strawberry cultivation. Kees van Tuijl explains that this double screen has been in use for some time in the 2006 greenhouse, dating back to when they used to grow peppers.

At Nieuwe Tijningen 115, raspberries were cultivated until last year. In 2024, the growers decided to cease raspberry production, focusing solely on strawberries in both greenhouses. When the decision was made to replace the oldest greenhouse with a new one, it was also determined to implement a double screen above the hanging gutters, which have been installed thanks to the new greenhouse.

During the strawberry breakfast, Toon van Tuijl, the founder of the nursery and chairman of Kom in de Kas Bommelerwaard, highlighted the positive developments in greenhouse horticulture in the region. He mentioned the horticultural sewer system, the biodiversity strips (including those along the strawberry grower's greenhouses), and the opportunity for growers to accommodate international workers on their premises. While many regions desire this arrangement, it is not yet feasible everywhere. However, it is possible in the Bommelerwaard, and Kwekerij van Tuyl is pleased with this development.

For the strawberry growers, it had been several years since they participated in Kom in de Kas. Saturday started well with the breakfast, and after grower Geert-Jan read Psalm 65, the large national public event in the Bommelerwaard could start on Saturday.

In total, six growers participated in Kom in de Kas in the Bommelerwaard, spread over Gameren and Zaltbommel. Nationally, growers opened their doors in a total of 16 regions.

The Bommelerwaard region received a visit from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality prior to Kom in de Kas.

This weekend is @kom_in_de_kas: a unique opportunity to discover the world of Dutch greenhouse horticulturists and their cultivation of flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruit. In the run-up to this event, we spoke with three entrepreneurs about their technologies and innovations in the greenhouse. pic.twitter.com/3INtU3TZ6m
— Ministry of LVVN (@minlvvn) April 4, 2025

Click here for the photo report of the Strawberry Breakfast and of Kom in de Kas 2025 from our Dutch colleagues at Groenten Nieuws.

For more information:
Kwekerij van Tuyl
info@kwekerijvantuyl.nl
www.kwekerijvantuyl.nl