In the 17th and 18th century, horticulture in the Westland region and in what is now called the Bollenstreek started to spread. Asparagus were cultivated and sold to well-off people living in The Hague and Leiden. The Brabantse Wal also was an important asparagus cultivation area in those days. Alledgedly, a monastry in Huijbergen sold asparagus in 1630. Large-scale cultivation of asparagus was set up in the 19th century. In 1880, an auction was founded in the Westland region, which became a centre for asparagus trade. Around 1920, asparagus growers already delivered asparagus in boxes to their customers by mail. In the 1930s, the largest asparagus auction was located in Bergen op Zoom. Subsequently, the centre of asparagus cultivation moved to the north of the province of Limburg where Grubbenvorst has had the largest asparagus auction for a long time.
Back to article