Karel Vaes

Karel's cherries are so delicious because they are so fresh. "They are picked early in the morning and immediately sorted and packaged. Today, the norm is to sort cherries mechanically in a bath of water. Then, they are given a cold shock so they retain their beautiful green stems and last a long time. However, the cold alters the taste. That's why I look for a short supply chain, so the cherries don't endure days of waiting before reaching consumers." 

The taste of the fruit comes first 

Karel is very dedicated to taste. For instance, he doesn't fertilize the soil with extra nitrogen, which speeds up growth. "The trees would grow faster, and their fruit would be larger. It would be pure profit. But the taste would be less concentrated, as if the flavor were diluted." As a fruit grower, he constantly struggles with dilemmas. "The market wants large apples, but the Maurice variety produces small apples due to the soil and pruning method. However, we're finding that customers actually prefer small apples or a mix of sizes. That's why I focus on specialty stores, where taste is paramount."

It's no coincidence that the fruit grower's motto is "For the Earth and Society." He protects the earth by planting hardy trees that require minimal human intervention. Some of his orchards are located in nature reserves. He prefers natural pest control methods and nurtures the soil. People are also central to Karel's vision. "We don't use machines for anything that can be done by hand. It's an unusual vision these days, but I want the farm to be a lively place. I don't want it to be just one farmer who has to keep everything running, as is often the case with economies of scale. A farm is the perfect place where everyone can find meaningful work. So, instead of using chemical pesticides to control weeds, we weed by hand. I want to restore agriculture to its former glory. Like education and healthcare, agriculture is an important part of our society and landscape that must be protected. It is who we are."