The TASPO publication is the most widely read medium in the horticultural industry, covering all areas from production to trade, and reporting on the latest innovations, trends, and market news from across the sector.

The TASPO Awards have been celebrating outstanding achievement in the horticultural industry every year since 2005, and GLOBALG.A.P. will be an event partner for the upcoming 2022 ceremony, taking place on 11 November in Berlin.

From florists and landscaping companies to garden centers and suppliers, businesses can apply for the awards in the categories product, company, marketing, and management. Through presentations to industry stakeholders and a panel of expert judges, innovations, projects, and achievements are evaluated on both technical details as well as impact on the end consumer.

 

Geers tree nursery

One of the companies aiming for success at the 2022 awards is the tree nursery Geers which has GLOBALG.A.P. certification. With 40 employees and a farm area of 30 hectares – including 8000m² of covered production – Geers is a family-owned company that specializes in organic fruit trees.

They are entering under three categories: “Producer of the year,” “Best offer for the next generation,” and “Best concept: Vegetables/Herbs/Fruit.”

The farm seeks to operate more sustainably through their organic approach. This means replacing chemical pesticides and weedkillers with natural substances (such as bark mulch) and beneficial insects, operating a closed water cycle, reducing peat usage and using homemade compost, avoiding mineral fertilizers, and using pots made of 99.9% recycled materials.

In addition to production processes, Geers also employs sustainable practices in their use of energy across the farm site. Buildings, including accommodation used by workers, are heated by a carbon-neutral wood chip plant, and photovoltaics are used in the production of green electricity.

 

History

Transitioning from a small agricultural business that produced strawberries, the tree nursery was started in 1990 by the Geers’ father and son team of master gardeners. Supplying landscapers and wholesalers, such as Landgard, the Geers initially produced a wide assortment of plants. The last 15 years has seen a specialization in fruit trees.

The business expanded steadily, and in 2015, the first trials in organic production were conducted. The entire farm was converted to organic production in 2019.

Max Geers commented on the impact of GLOBALG.A.P. certified production processes, “Through GLOBALG.A.P. certification, we want to show our customers that we take the issues of sustainability, environmental protection, occupational safety, and generally good horticultural practice very seriously. It is now a requirement of almost all major buyers who want consistent quality assurance and consistent standards.”

The full list of 2022 finalists can be found on the TASPO Awards official website.

 

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