Family Van Dongen

In 2007, Gijs took over his parents' chicory business and named it 'Nature's Gold production'. In 2011, his sister Sophie joined the company, and since 2018 she has been co-owner. Today, Nature's Gold grows chicory at two locations.

Cultivation

The chicory growing process actually consists of two parts. First, cultivating the roots, and second, growing the chicory itself from these roots. “The best part about cultivation for us is constantly improving both our production and staff management. We try to optimise every factor within our control. That’s extremely important to us, and we’re always working on it,” say Gijs and Sophie.

For Nature’s Gold, building projects are a slightly less enjoyable aspect of the job. “Expansions are sometimes necessary but also very time-consuming. It’s time you can’t spend on your production. Construction interrupts your daily routine, and that’s not always pleasant.”

One challenge they face in chicory farming is the weather. “Nowadays, the climate is quite extreme, which makes it more difficult to cultivate chicory roots.”

Gijs and Sophie find it important that consumers know their chicory is a local product. “We're only 2 km from the Belgian-Dutch border, but that doesn't matter, our product is still local—even though we're not in Belgium itself.”

Nature's Gold is pleased with its collaboration with BelOrta. “There’s good communication and regular consultation with the growers.”

Free time

Between February and April, things are a bit quieter, which is when Gijs and Sophie sometimes take holidays. They explain that taking time off is necessary—otherwise, they’d stay busy with chicory production, which isn't healthy in the long run. “Since we produce year-round, it’s good to occasionally take breaks to avoid getting stuck in a rut.” In his spare time, Gijs enjoys watching football and Formula 1.

Tip

Gijs says chicory doesn’t always have to be prepared the traditional way. “There are so many different ways to cook chicory—like stir-frying it in a wok or serving it with pasta.”