Wiebe Berkhout ( 57 ) was pay in the Netherlands but has spent a larger part of his lifetime in Africa than in his area of parturition . In 1994 , he leave for Tanzania , to work in irrigation for Foreign Affairs ' development cooperation programs . In the next year , he also worked in USDA and horticulture , eventually ending up among roses and chrysanthemums . In 2018 he join Marginpar , as farm manager of Bondeni Machame Farm , one of the partner farm in Tanzania .
Wiebe : " It is interesting when you join a company that is already running . At first , I just watched to see how they operate , and what systems they use . It was only after three months or so that I commence getting call for . By spending a few days with all section , you get out what is fail on and what they are doing . Of course , I have an idealistic image in my drumhead , so then it ’s a matter of steering in that steering . ”
Valuing each individualMarginpar ’s partner farms in Tanzania do not work accord to the Kaizen or Hamuka method ( the citizenry - orient direction overture at the Kenyan and Ethiopian farms ) , but the cultivation that run is very standardised . Wiebe : " When I hear about the Hamuka refinement , my first response was really ' Oh , I call that the Wiebe method ' . I actually work in the same way .
Of course , it is of import to give people guidance and to make certain they know where you desire to go . But if all that is all right , and people show that they can do it , then they get that trust and responsibility from me . I actually try , as strange as it sounds , to make myself as spendable as potential at the farm . "
Wiebe is also engaged expanding the farm . The farm covers 55 hectares , of which 33 hectares were cultivated three long time ago . Wiebe : " That is now 48 hectares , and we want to enlarge to the full 55 hectares . We now have 16 variety of flowers - a large part of which is the Clematis Amazing ® series - and we require to expand that to about 20 varieties . "
Who , what where , when , and whyWiebe : " amplify is a two - fold labor . first , there is the fundament , the construction of irrigation and electrical energy and the planting of ( newfangled ) varieties . Then there is the establishment of young harvest teams . We presently have 12 harvest time team , each with a supervisory program . supervisor often started out in the field , and have render themselves to be proactive . We care to give these people chance to grow . With an enlargement , it is important that everyone learns what needs to be done in the new fields , and who is creditworthy for what , and then everyone can work severally . Although I desire everyone to work as severally as possible , I also make indisputable that they know that they can always amount to me with questions . "
The expansions at Bondeni Machame Farm do not only consist of planting new flower fields . Wiebe : " We are currently working on many projects . We are extending our borehole , our water source , and also want to design and build a water reservoir . We are renewing our power supply , because it has now grown fourfold . We are expand the insensate stores and we have just finished 4.5 hectare of fresh shadowiness greenhouses . We are also build up a new packhouse as well as a extension glasshouse , and are going to build 12 hectares of drip irrigation alternatively of sprinkler . When they bloom , we make selections from them , together with our stock breeder , J. van Zoest B.V. "
MPS certificationSustainability is a major precedency at Marginpar , so Bondeni Machame Farm has also submitted to the audits for MPS credential . Wiebe : " We passed the MPS ABC audit , which is about your chemistry and fertilizer use , with flying colors . We were immediately rewarded with the A+ credentials . Now we are in the summons of obtaining MPS SQ ( Socially Qualified ) - how do you process your citizenry ? - and MPS GAP ( Good Agricultural Practices ) - how do treat the environment ? - for which the audited account have convey place , and we are only waiting for the final assessment . "
Wiebe ’s WishAll in all , Wiebe is not the type to sit still . His dream is to become as expendable as potential , but that requires a lot of work first . Wiebe : " Moreover , making the translation from what Marginpar Holland wants to actions here at the farm is take exception . That has to do with the way of thinking here , the character of masses , and the degree of independency . Empowerment is something Marginpar and we really tolerate behind . It would be fantastic if we manage to have a Tanzanian farm manager here within five years . "
