Fruit farmer lets customers pick their own apples after hail damage: 'Supermarket doesn't want this fruit'

Jonas Somers, a fruit farmer in Bekkevoort, is offering a unique solution to a damaged harvest: a pick-your-own event for customers.

A severe hailstorm on May 13th left about 1,000 tons of apples and pears cosmetically imperfect, making them unsellable to supermarkets. "Although the fruit is still perfectly edible, it does not meet the aesthetic requirements of retail," Somers explained. The hailstones created dents in the young fruit, which affects apples more visibly than pears. This damage renders the crop unsuitable for standard retail channels.

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Although the fruit is still perfectly edible, it does not meet the aesthetic requirements of retail.

To prevent the harvest from being wasted, Somers organized an open-picking weekend. Customers can buy the apples and pears for just 1 euro per kilogram. The initiative has been met with great enthusiasm. "It's a fun activity to do with the children," said Bieke Peeters, who visited with her daughter. "And it's cheap." She plans to make applesauce, inspired by recipes from Jeroen Meus.

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It's a fun activity to do with the children. And it's cheap.

Vanessa, who came with her grandchildren, sees it as an educational opportunity. "This way, they learn that apples don't come from the supermarket, but grow on trees, that you have to pick them, and that growers put a lot of work into it," she said. "It's important for them to know where our food comes from." She plans to make applesauce and baked apples, reminiscent of her great-grandmother's recipes.

Somers considers the weekend a success and is considering organizing another pick-your-own event next month, as different varieties will be ripe then and can be stored longer.

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This way, they learn that apples don't come from the supermarket, but grow on trees, that you have to pick them, and that growers put a lot of work into it.