Weert (pronounced Ue-rt) is a Dutch city (over 50,000) in the south of the Netherlands near the Belgium border. It is also in an area from which Jop (pronounced Yop) Van Melick came from to eventually call Outlook home.
As you can see in the picture Jop has not only called Outlook home but has set himself up farming, establishing himself in the carrot business with six employees. The carrots shown are packaged in five pound bags and then ten per baler bag before being stacked 40 per pallet to be shipped 26 pallets in a semi load, most of which have gone to Walmart stores. He can also package in two and three pound bags as well as bulk 50 pound jumbo carrots.
The carrots are stored in a state of the art filacel storage which can maintain humidity at or close to 100% and three centrigrade. Moisture loss in carrots not only reduces returns but if more than ten percent is lost the carrot has to be thrown out.
Jop arrived in Canada August 2012 to help with potato harvest at Spudwyk Farms. During the winter seasons, he spent time in Australia working on a potato and onion farm and in New zealand helping harvest 4000 acres of fresh peas for freezing and canning. He became a full time resident of Canada in 2015.
While Jop grew up on a 70 cow dairy farm that produced cheese for Gouda and sold cheese in an on farm store, he was always more interested in machinery and farming. Since the farm was discontinued before he was old enough to become involved, opportunities in the Netherlands were limited which made options in Canada more appealing.
Unfortunately, financing in Canada cannot be obtained until permanent residency is granted which Jop achieved in mid 2018, too late to plant any crop that year. The crop you see in bags was planted on 15 acres in 2019 and the infrastructure and equipment was all put in place in a remarkably short period of time, albeit with some much needed outside assistance.
He was able to harvest about 40 ton per acre except for several acres that were, unfortunately lost in the field due to frost. His achievements are all the more remarkable considering much of his equipment was sourced from Europe since it is simply not available in Canada and often not in the U. S. either. This is particularly challenging when one considers parts and repair technicians must also come from these countries unlike grain farmers who can call local dealers.
The work ethic and entrepreneurship shown by these young people from the Netherlands, like Jop, is simply impressive and much needed in the Outlook area. We import 90 % of our ‘in season’ fresh vegetables that could be grown here. Outlook, should it wish to advance economic development, would do well to take notice.
