Today we woke up very early to visit the Royal FloraHolland (the flower auction) and De Tulperij (the tulip farm)!

After arriving at Royal FloraHolland at around 7:30, we had the chance to tour the warehouse distribution facility. I was taken aback at how large the facility was (the entire complex was equivalent to 250 football fields) and even more impressed by how every single worker knew exactly where to go and what to do. Workers were walking and driving vehicles to move carts of flowers while some carts independently moved along tracks. The rate at which carts of flowers were moved and organized was incredibly quick, which is important when working with products that have a lifespan. We also got an insight into Royal FloraHolland’s role as a distributor in the supply chain of flowers. They are supplied with flowers from countries in Africa, Latin America, and from around the Mediterranean Sea and sell the flowers to consumers through an online auction that starts at 6:00 am every morning.

We had a brief interlude in a village called Aalsmere before we arrived at De Tulperij, a third-generation tulip farm that was founded in 1927. Daan Jansze walked us around his tulip field and gave us an overview of the history and tulip production at his farm. His farm, like many other businesses in the Netherlands, is focused on sustainability and reusing waste. Each year, Daan rotates the fields in which he plants certain flowers to avoid growing pests and weeds resistant to one type of flower. Therefore, the fields can be reused each year without impeding the number of flowers that can bloom. The tulip bulbs are also reused to grow new tulips each year and composted to be used for future agricultural needs. After an informative video that went into more detail about tulip production, Daan shared his strategy for when he cuts flowers to sell. He explained he cuts flowers when the weather is dreary since people tend to stay inside. When people remain inside, they are then more inclined to buy flowers to decorate their houses. This strategy is an example of demand forecasting because Daan bases his harvesting schedule on when he believes the demand for tulips will be high. 

Tomorrow we will have the chance to visit MX3D, a 3D metal printing company that I got to research beforehand in class!