Knibbe Vegetables 2-2

“Thanks to further automation, things are much calmer in the barn.”

In a previous customer case study, Luke Knibbe explained how VHM helped automate crate logistics at the family-owned business Knibbe Vegetables in Wieringerwerf. A lot has changed since then. The third generation of the Knibbe family has shifted its focus to field crops such as seed potatoes, onions, and tulips, reinvested in automation, and continued to build an efficient processing line. Time for an update: how is Knibbe Vegetables doing now?

The ambition

Knibbe Vegetables is led by brothers Luke, Nico, and Jim Knibbe. Together, they run a company that focuses on the cultivation, processing, and sale of seed potatoes, onions, and tulips. In recent years, they have made an important strategic decision.

Luke: “We’ve stopped growing iceberg lettuce. With certain pesticides no longer available, the risk simply became too great. That’s why we’ve decided to focus entirely on the field crops in which we excel.”

“The three of us each have our own responsibilities within the company, but we support one another when needed. That’s where our strength lies. There’s always someone here who’s available or approachable. That allows us to adapt quickly and continue to grow the company.”

The challenge

In addition to the challenges surrounding crop protection, the availability of staff remains a key concern for Knibbe Vegetables. Luke: “Finding good people is getting harder and harder; you see that everywhere in the industry. That’s why we’re constantly looking for ways to work smarter and more efficiently—not just in the barn, but also in the field.”

“For example, we’re now using a sorting robot that detects and marks diseased potato plants. This allows even less experienced employees to perform the sorting work. Ultimately, we want to use innovations to get more work done with the same number of people. We’re happy to draw on VHM’s expertise to achieve this.”

“The greatest benefit lies not only in capacity, but above all in peace of mind and a clear overview.”

Luke Knibbe, Director of Knibbe Vegetables

About Knibbe Vegetables

The foundation for Knibbe Vegetables was laid in 1942 after the first plot of land was sold to Schiphol. During the war, Great-Great-Grandfather Knibbe’s farm was also confiscated by the occupying forces. Due to the national airport’s expansion plans, Grandfather Knibbe was given the opportunity to start an agricultural business in Wieringerwerf. His son took over in the early 1990s, and his sons took over the business from him in 2017. Knibbe has since grown into a thriving business that cultivates crops on approximately 500 hectares of extremely fertile farmland on the edge of the IJsselmeer.

The solution

To further optimize the processing of potatoes and onions, Knibbe Vegetables invested once again in automation. Following earlier investments in equipment such as the TwinFilr and MonoFilr, the company added a Semi Automatic Turnr + EvenFlow in recent years, followed by a Fully Automatic Turnr + EvenFlow, as well as the Fully Automatic BoxFilr.

Luke: “The latest investment consists of a Fully Automatic Turnr + EvenFlow and a Fully Automatic BoxFilr. We’ve also added an optical reading unit that evaluates each potato individually. Whereas it used to take three or four people to sort the potatoes, now just one person can do the job. The various systems can be used flexibly during both the harvest and the sorting process.”

“We can now run multiple lines simultaneously. During sorting, we use the Fully Automatic Turnr + EvenFlow to feed the line and the VHM-BoxFilrs to handle the various product streams. This has also made us much more flexible.”

The Result

According to Luke, the biggest benefit lies not only in capacity, but above all in peace of mind and a clear overview. “Forklift movements have decreased dramatically. In the past, every box had to be picked up and processed individually. Now we load multiple boxes into the machine at once, and everything comes off the line much more efficiently. That saves a tremendous amount of time.”

Process continuity has also improved. “Our sorting line now runs virtually nonstop. In the past, the line had to stop regularly as soon as a BoxFilr was full. That no longer happens. Everything runs much more smoothly.” This efficiency gain translates directly into daily operations. “It’s much quieter in the warehouse. The forklift operator has more time to keep track of things and keep everything neatly organized. Work is now a lot more efficient, more organized, and, above all, easier.”

According to Luke, the most recent investment has had a significant impact. “That’s undoubtedly the fully automatic unloader and filler. It has brought us much more peace of mind, clarity, and efficiency. We see the benefits of that every day.”

According to him, it’s no coincidence that Knibbe Vegetables has been working with VHM since 2017. “The machines are reliable and rarely break down. But more importantly, if there’s a problem, it’s addressed immediately. If it can’t be fixed today, someone is often at our doorstep the very next morning. That level of service really makes all the difference for us.”

Although the processing lines are now highly automated, Luke believes innovation remains important. “We’re pretty up-to-date in the barn, but there’s always room to go faster and smarter. In the coming years, we expect further developments mainly in the fields. There are still many opportunities there.”