Family Bertels

The Bertels family grows both strawberries and tomatoes. Jan’s grandfather and father both grew tomatoes, and a few years ago they expanded their crop range to include strawberries. “Our plot was ideal for it, and I’ve always loved strawberries myself,” says Jan.

“We pick the strawberries and deliver them to BelOrta that very same day. That way they’re super fresh in the shops. We carefully select our strawberry varieties based on quality and taste. That’s why locally grown strawberries are always super fresh and sweeter than southern varieties.”

Jan adds that the strawberry plants have to be replanted every year. That’s why they plant no less than 300,000 new strawberry plants each year to get ready for the next season. It’s a labour-intensive job, but the results are definitely worth it.