During the trip, Mario and Dion visited various growers and partners. The visits focused on relationship management, quality checks and discussions about the opportunities and challenges for the coming seasons.
“By being out in the field yourself, you get a much better picture of what’s going on,” says Mario. “You see just how much knowledge, dedication and passion it takes to deliver high-quality produce every day.”
The growers expressed their appreciation for the partnership with Farmhouse. In particular, open communication, transparency and a focus on long-term relationships were frequently mentioned.
“What we heard back is that growers really feel like partners,” says Dion. “Not just suppliers, but part of a shared supply chain in which we want to grow together.”
It is precisely during visits like these that our philosophy of Connecting Smiles comes to life. By visiting our growers, we get to know each other better, understand each other’s challenges and continue to build mutual trust.
“A face-to-face conversation offers much more depth than an online meeting,” says Dion. “You get a better picture of our partners’ ambitions and can look ahead together.”
For Farmhouse, these visits are essential. Not only to maintain relationships, but also to work together on quality, continuity and growth.
One of the highlights of this trip was the combination of Mario and Dion. Both look at the same supply chain from the perspective of their own areas of expertise.
Whilst Dion focused primarily on the commercial side and the relationship with growers, Mario looked specifically at quality, sustainability and compliance. This combination led to valuable discussions and new insights.
“It is precisely because we have different backgrounds that we complement each other so well,” says Mario. “We learn a lot from each other and from our growers.”
During the visits, the growers’ dedication was immediately apparent. They were constantly working to improve quality, sustainability and further professionalisation.
There was also much discussion about changing customer needs. Consumers are increasingly keen to know where products come from and how they are grown. For Farmhouse, this reaffirmed just how important it is to be close to the source.
By visiting our growers regularly, we know where products are available, we can better guarantee quality and, together, we build a reliable year-round range.
As well as visiting the fields and production sites, there was also time for some special personal moments. One of the highlights was watching a World Cup match featuring Colombia together with a grower’s family and other local Colombians.
Although Colombia were eventually knocked out on penalties, it was a unique experience for Mario and Dion.
“You could feel the passion for football everywhere,” says Dion. “It was special to experience those emotions up close and to share them with our growers.”
It is precisely those kinds of moments that allow you to get to know each other better, not just professionally but also personally.
We look back on this trip with great pleasure and would like to thank our growers and partners for their warm welcome, openness and hospitality. It is precisely the combination of conversations on the pitch, at the packing stations and around the kitchen table that shows what strong partnerships are built on: trust, commitment and a shared ambition to continue growing together.
We look forward to our next meetings and to the successful continuation of our partnership.
