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"Working with great attention makes this work really fun."

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Ivonne Awater, Greenhouse Technician

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I have been working in the greenhouse for more than thirty years and have always enjoyed my work. I like to tackle. After working at Solynta for two years now, I can assure you that it has been different from anything I've done in horticulture so far. Still, I am happily defoliating, potting, putting labels on the pots, you name it. Basically, everything that is needed to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that the plants look good. Yet, it is a world of difference with the production company that I used to work at. Everything had to be done quickly there, and with as few people as possible. At some point, the pressure became too much for me. At Solynta, it is especially important that it is done properly and accurately.

Sometimes that aspect takes some getting used to. I'm so used to always working as quickly as possible, but working with great attention makes it really fun. It also helps that we do important work. We make a difference to others, and that has always been important to me, that's the value by which I was raised. It feels very good to be able to do something for people in a world where food is less self-evident than here. I have really found the joy in work again.

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Most of all, I like the variety in my work. We actually work in blocks and see the plant all the way from the beginning to the harvesting. You first build everything up, then you see the plants grow, and you take care of them as best as possible. After this comes the harvesting, and then we do it all over again. I really like that rhythm. For the past six months, I have also started helping with cross-breeding the plants. That really requires great focus, it has to be done properly and that also makes the work challenging. We really do that together, with the team. We keep each other focussed.

I don’t necessarily need to learn new things anymore, but I still continue to develop within my work at Solynta. You learn from your colleagues and from new activities, such as crossbreeding and emasculating for seed production. I like that, but the most important thing is that I enjoy coming to work every day and that I go home satisfied in the evening. Preferably, this is after I've been able to get a lot of work done, that's just who I am.

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