Stolk Brothers winner of the Horticulture Entrepreneurship Award 2024
Oyster mushroom farm wins Theme Prize 'Circular Entrepreneurship'
Stolk Brothers is the winner of the Horticulture Entrepreneur Award 2024. As the fourth generation, brothers David and Pieter Stolk are strongly committed to continuity, 100% organic crop protection and peat-free cultivation. Oesterzwammerij wins the Theme Prize 'Circular Entrepreneurship'. With their new form of horticulture, they close cycles and permanently utilize flows that would otherwise be labeled as waste. Marten van den Berg, Director-General of Agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, and André Kuipers presented the prize today.
Strong leader in sustainability
Stolk Brothers is a state-of-the-art anthurium nursery located in Bergschenhoek. It is a family business that has existed for almost 100 years and supplies exclusive anthuriums in the top segment. According to the jury, Stolk Brothers shows courage by early implementation of peat-free delivery and the company has implemented various biological applications in cultivation. Recent investments have prepared the company structure for connection to collective sustainable heat. New knowledge is developed and the environment is involved through biodiversity tests around the greenhouse.
New form of horticulture in the Randstad and in the countryside
The Oesterzwammerij is a circular nursery in Bloemendaal and grows oyster mushrooms - as an alternative to meat - on coffee grounds. According to the jury, the Oyster Swammery shows that circularity is about a transition and a different way of thinking: extracting added value from residual flows and using them again as a raw material for higher value. Oyster shucking is a reproducible and therefore scalable initiative. The company has a very broad view and is working on the entire chain, in order to create new value together. The Theme Prize is co-organized by Greenport Aalsmeer. Gido Oude Kotte, chairman of Greenport Aalsmeer, presented the Theme Prize.
André Kuipers: 'Horticulture is a source of inspiration for other sectors'
“The Earth is like a spaceship; an isolated fact. With a closed cycle in which raw materials do not lose their value and renewable energy is used, you speak of a circular system that is inexhaustible. The horticultural sector is already making enormous strides in this regard and will be one of the first sectors to become circular. A source of inspiration for many other sectors,” said André Kuipers, keynote speaker during the ceremony.
Marten van den Berg talked to the four nominees about some current themes that hinder their acceleration: internationalization, crop products, CRIPS-Cas and circular entrepreneurship. Van den Berg: “The ongoing transition of rural areas also requires major changes within horticulture. But horticulture belongs in the Netherlands and I am therefore happy to support horticultural entrepreneurs with a sound policy so that we can work together towards a sustainable and future-proof Dutch horticultural sector.”
Before and after the presentation, visitors could visit the Innovation Square. There, startups and scaleups, among others, were given the opportunity to present themselves. For example, there were companies that process residual flows from horticulture into muffins (Fabafull) and syrup (De Roze Bunker). The company Lgem – also present at the Innovation Square – demonstrated an installation for growing algae.
The meeting took place in the horticultural area of Greenport Aalsmeer and was made possible by the event sponsors: Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Top Sector T&U, Greenhouse Horticulture Netherlands, Plantion, Naktuinbouw, Royal Anthos, Rijk Zwaan, Bejo Zaden, Enza Zaden, Van Iperen, Flower Council Holland and the Arendshoeve.
Stichting Tuinbouw Ondernemersprijs is supported by the partners: Innovation Fund Hagelunie/Interpolis, Rabobank, Royal FloraHolland, Flynth advisors and accountants, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. And this year also Greenport Aalsmeer, which co-organized the theme prize.
Photo Captions:
Pieter (l) and David Stolk from Brothers win the 2024 Horticulture Entrepreneurship Award from Agro Director Marten van den Berg and André Kuipers. Photo credits: Photo studio Vlekke
The Oesterzwammerij team wins Theme Prize for Circular Entrepreneurship from Gido Oude Kotte (l) and André Kuipers. Photo credits: Photo studio Vlekke
