Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo is opening its doors on Sunday 2 April during Kom in de Kas (come into the greenhouse). Stimulate your senses with local fruit and vegetables, discover the world of vegetable breeding, be inspired by the world of artificial intelligence, cycle your own healthy smoothie on a smoothie bike and see what students from Fontys, HAS University of Applied Sciences and Yuverta are doing on the Venlo campus.
During Kom in de Kas (come into the greenhouse), vegetable, flower and plant growers throughout the Netherlands open their businesses to interested visitors. This year, Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo is participating in Kom in de Kas for the second time.
Cooking workshop and seed technology
Visitors will learn about the world of vegetable breeding with experiments and a quiz at BASF's vegetable seeds business stand. Kokkerelli will hold special cooking workshops for children where young visitors will make their own dishes using fresh fruits and vegetables from the region. At campus resident Innoveins Seed Solutions, visitors will get an insight into the world of seed technology and Bluehub will organise an Open Brains through the platform Agritourism. At the stand of The Healthiest Region, children - and adults - can 'cycle' their own healthy smoothie on a real smoothie bike.
Plasma and city farming
Blue Plasma is all about plasma, a natural phenomenon created when energy travels through the air. With smart techniques, plasma can be used in food, agro and food processing to disinfect in a clean, sustainable and safe way. At the Test, Taste and Concept Centre, visitors will discover if they are a supertaster and students from Yuverta, Fontys and HAS University of Applied Sciences will show how they developed their own mini BrightBox: a new way of growing without daylight on multiple layers. At the AI Academy, visitors can marvel at the applications of artificial intelligence in all facets of our lives.
Health and happiness
According to Jean Aerts, board member of Glastuinbouw Nederland and chairman of the Limburg region, the participation of campus makes perfect sense. "Greenhouse horticulture is both producer and supplier of health and happiness. We contribute to the health and well-being of society with our products, as research at Brightlands, among others, shows. The Venlo campus is all about healthy and sustainable food. The innovations developed there are quickly landing in the sector. In addition, a lot of research is being done into the effects and contents of fruit and vegetables, which will really enable us as a sector to distinguish ourselves in the future. In short: Brightlands is a very important partner for horticulture in the region."
In the region
During Kom in de Kas in Limburg on Sunday 2 April, there will be a cycling and driving route along horticultural companies in the region. Besides Brightlands, seven horticultural entrepreneurs will open their doors to the general public to show what they are proud of and in what ways they contribute to the health and well-being of the province.
Participating companies are Bakker Sweet Peppers and Schreurs Plants (part of the Gipmans Group) in Sevenum, Bejo, Hendrix-Rasing Aardbeien and B&B Plant in Melderslo and vegetable company Baetsen in Grubbenvorst and snack tomato grower Westburg in California.
