Environmental certificate

The fruit of Fruitbedrijf Toon Vernooij B.V. is produced according to the standards of MILIEUKEUR. The basis of the certification is the natural balance it tries to pursue. Crop protection products are only used if it is absolutely necessary. Many insects can, in normal situations, combat the harmful insects. For example earwigs, parasite wasps, ladybugs and flower bugs are very useful insects in the orchard.

Solar panels

The southern part of the barn is for the most part covered with solar panels. This allows Fruit Company Toon Vernooij to be energy neutral.

Pheromone confusion

The codling moth is an insect that harms the fruit. It places her eggs on the fruit in June. The caterpillars which spawn out of these eggs eat through the apples/pears. This makes the fruit inappropriate for human consumption. To prevent this from happening, pheromones are used (a pheromone is a fake sex attractant). This is the same smell a female codling moth ejects when she starts flying on warm evenings. By ejecting this fake smell it confuses the males in such a way that they can’t find the females. The intercourse does not taken place and therefore no action is required to combat these insects.

Biodiversity

Great focus is given to the maintenance of a natural environment. The orchard is surrounded by an area that contains more than 25 indigenous bushes. Anytime during the year at least one of those bushes is in blossom and so attracts useful insects. By having high diversified plants, the resistance and diversity of useful insects is increased. This has a positive effect on a natural landscape.
Furthermore, the flower field contributes to biodiversity and stimulates the population of insects. The combination of wild flowers provides a lot of food for different sorts of insects during a big part of the year.

 

 

 

 

Cold stores with CO2

The newest installations are used to stock fruit. These installations use CO2 in a closed cycle. In this way the ozone layer does not get harmed. The surplus heat this installation produces is used for warming the floor of for example the loading docks. This type of cooling technique uses less energy than the old installation which uses Freon.

Bee hotel

In this wooden bamboo construction bees and other insects can find a safe environment to live in.