Harvesting Machines
After a startup phase in 2023 with an initial prototype of a fully automatic harvesting machine, two new concepts were ready for use in the harvest by autumn 2024. The prototype from last year has been dismantled and two machines have been created with several improvements. The modern pumpkin harvesting machines were first put to work on a parcel in Beesd.
De Terp is a large pumpkin company and processes 4,500 tons of pumpkins this year from a total of 200 hectares. The harvesting machine is deployed on 130 hectares. Growers are contracted to cultivate organic pumpkins for the company.
Machine collects the entire crop
The harvesting machine collects the entire crop just beneath the ground. ‘At the top of the harvest head, we rotate the complete package with the foliage roller downwards. The fruit detaches from the plant and falls onto a conveyor belt. This conveyor belt transports the pumpkins into a bin, after two workers at the back of the machine have removed the bad pumpkins. They also perform some quality control.’
Our company can save fifteen staff members thanks to the harvesting machine. De Terp primarily determines which varieties the contract growers cultivate, as not every variety is suitable for mechanical harvesting. ‘In some varieties, the stem breaks off at the wrong spot on the flesh. Such a wound will heal, but it doesn’t look good for the consumer.’
Pumpkins for long storage
The pumpkins from De Terp are suitable for long storage. Robbers prefers to harvest them while they’re still green, before powdery mildew sets in. ‘We supply to Albert Heijn within the Netherlands, but we also export a lot to the German retail market,’ he says. ‘While many pumpkins are grown in Germany, they are often not suited for long storage.’
Robbers describes organic pumpkin cultivation as relatively easy. ‘Weeds are the biggest issue, but we can largely control them mechanically with cultivators and a weeding harrow. Some growers sow the crop in a square pattern. This allows us to also cultivate laterally and get close to the crop,’ the entrepreneur explains.
Since images speak louder than words when it comes to machines in action, see below two videos of the operation.
After the pumpkins are harvested from the field, they are kept cool in storage bins located in one of our supply barns. For order fulfillment, they are placed in the washing line by emptying the bins into the water basin. They then automatically pass through the washing and sorting line, which has been custom-made for the Terp after 27 years of experience. The stems are trimmed, and the washed pumpkins go over the drying brushes. Next, they are sorted by weight on the sorting line before exiting. Only here are the pumpkins picked up by hand for the first time and checked for quality. They can, of course, be packaged according to customer requirements, available in all shapes and sizes. For the past three years, almost all pumpkins have been marked on demand using our laser branding tool. We have automated the stacking of the crates and the wrapping of the pallets for our employees.
This way, we do not shy away from washing, sorting, and packaging, and our capacity is at least 80,000 kg per day.
Throughout the entire autumn, products from Dutch soil and the recent opening of a cutting kitchen demonstrate that De Terp understands what consumers are searching for.
“Annually, we sell around seven million kilos of pumpkins, all sourced from organic farming. Given the substantial volumes, we have now fully specialized in pumpkins. In the past, we also had some livestock on our organic farm; now we are entirely focused on the pumpkin supply chain, from seed to final product. We achieve this partly with products from our own cultivation, but also through pumpkins from other Dutch organic growers and starting in January, imports, first from South Africa and then from New Zealand.
Halved pumpkins, cut cubes, and pumpkin slices
To become a specialist, one must be willing to innovate. “Trying out new things keeps it enjoyable and exciting. After the fire that destroyed our entire farm with four buildings in April 2022, we have become operational again in a new building in Erichem, where we have also established a cutting kitchen. The market increasingly demands convenience products. Last autumn and winter, we were able to supply halved pumpkins and sliced pumpkin cubes for the first time. This is indeed a different branch of business and essentially a different target market. Something new, and we are eager to engage with it.”
Processing vegetables or fruits into convenience products not only provides growers or traders the advantage of higher profit margins for value-added products but also allows for the use of volumes that are deemed unsuitable for the fresh market due to cosmetic imperfections. “In the case of orange Hokkaido pumpkins, also known as Potimarron or Onion Squash, the pumpkin cubes with skin are packed in the bags. The skin – which is actually a thin layer – is perfectly edible and very healthy, as it contains two unique carotenoid pigments, lutein and zeaxanthin. And it simply looks good in the bags. Since the convenience segment is still relatively new for us, we must still find our way a bit, but expectations are high. In the coming years, we aim to grow significantly in this area,” says Rinke.
By the end of 2024, a new product will be in development, pumpkin slices. These will also come from the same high-quality and flavorful varieties such as Flexi Kuri.
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