Employee sowing hall Nienke Heeringa
"This definitetely isn't an office job. This environment, where else do you find it? Every day I have a beautiful view on the greenhouses. A flowering picture.
It was definitely not a done deal for Nienke Heeringa to get to work in the green sector. She did her education in Recreation and Tourism and complemented that during holidays with working in the greenhouses of Schoneveld Breeding. One thing led to another and now she works for over a decade between flowering pot plants. "I got here by coincidence, but there is nothing else I would rather do."
“Working at Schoneveld during the holidays was mainly practical. Living in Deventer, the old location at the Dernhorstlaan was easy to reach. Besides that, the work was nice to do. For me, it was mainly a way to earn some extra money. In the end I worked more and more hours and after my education I decided to start working fulltime. And in fact, that's never changed."
Sowing hall
“My tasks vary. I work in the sowing hall most often. The word actually says all, working there means being responsible for sowing the crops. The task leader makes a planning with all tasks of the day. For example, we are sowing, counting or cleaining. When you are sowing, you get a sowing list with codes and varieties. By using the numbers you sow seeds into a tray. You fill little boxes with seeds and a card with a code. You can't make mistakes doing that. If the codes and seeds not correspond, you have a problem."
Focus
“So, you must indeed be able to work very focused, otherwise you won't be able to make it here. By counting usables, the same is applicable. We check after a specific period how many seeds grow out into products of the wanted quality. The higher the count, the higher the usable. Counting can be done automatically, but sometimes we do it by hand. Our conclusions are important for the production process so here applies again: making mistakes is disastrous."
Diverse team
“You would think that working in a department where everybody is so focused, is pretty boring, but that's absolutely untrue. We are with about 5 colleagues, most of them women. The great thing is that we're very diverse at the same time. Different ages, different backgrounds and totally different lives. One colleague has an auditory disability, that's no problem in our team. Everybody works in this department for a long time, this really feels like my second home."
“Everybody works in this department for a long time, this really feels like my second home."
Changes
“During the years, I developed from young student to working mom. That means big changes, but my work adaptes very fluently with me. I was able to adjust working times and days and could speak with my colleagues about what was going on in my life. And actually, time flies. Every year is different and there are always new developments."
Top team
“My colleagues are the sweetest. We are a top team. We help each other when needed and I always go to work with a smile. When you drive up here, there really stands something. And when inside, you feel the warm atmosphere immediately. Sometimes we have to work very hard, we have to reach our numbers during peak periods as well. Sometimes we make longer days and it can be physically challenging. But on the other hand you can take a breath during easier periods and you can get to work in different departments during these periods."
Constant
“I can combine my work and private life very good. There is só much possible here, just start the talk. I always find it a good thing that some colleagues have left, but come back too. That tells me how much fun it is to work here. I don't have to do anything with my education anymore. Schoneveld has become my constant factor. I am lucky for landing on the perfect spot on such an early age."