After completing the organic horticultural school De Warmonderhof, Sebastiaan Bos was looking for a way to start a horticultural business without having land or capital. On two existing locations, he started growing organic vegetables for two seasons and built up a clientele (’96 -’97). Then the opportunity to grow disappeared and the company of Sebastiaan, Kievit, became a processing company of products from organic growers. Hundreds of organic vegetable packages and other organic products are delivered daily to consumers in the region from the location on the Sandtlaan in Katwijk. For about six years, there has been a collaboration with a nearby organic arable farmer with joint management of crops. In addition, Sebastiaan has been looking for a place to start his own organic horticultural project in the area for some time. The Municipality of Katwijk offered the opportunity to submit a plan for the layout of the Zanderij area for a period of 10 years. It concerns the redevelopment of an area that was formerly known for its horticulture. The organic horticultural company he realised here in 2018 and 2019 is 1.7 hectares in size, right in the middle of a residential area in the town of Katwijk. At this unique location, one of the objectives is to both involve his current customers as well as the surrounding citizens in the production process and to let them experience sustainable food production first hand. Kieivit also wants to be an example company for the sector in the region and to be a work-learning place, also for people with a distance to the labor market.
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