BLOG

by G.A. (Gijsbrecht) Gunter, Msc

Harvest time. For as long as humanity has been cultivating land, it’s both a tense and joyous period of time. For the Dutch onion grower it is finally time to reap the fruits of his months of efforts. But harvesting always brings him quite some tension too. Tension whether the quality and harvest yield of his Dutch onions is as anticipated.

A good onion harvest is the sum of years of hard work, dedication and investment. It is the result of a complex process that starts with selecting the right soil and planting the right seeds. It ends with the harvest of a new generation of healthy and high-quality Dutch onions that may carry the name Holland Onions.

An early onion harvest is very important from a quality point of view. A later harvest produces extra yield in sunny late summer weather conditions, but also entails a certain risk. That risk is taken firmly by Dutch growers. Because they know the plant density in their field is sufficient and the onion crop has developed steadily. So the onion bulbs are often given a compelling open-air performance to show off their unique golden-yellow Dutch tunic still in the field.

From the prelude to the meticulously arranged onion yield in the windrow, the beginning of the harvesting season in the Netherlands is simply a feast for the eyes as you can see for yourself at https://youtu.be/LVNcypT4VrE