If you look out the window as you fly into the Netherlands at night, it is hard to miss all the greenhouses that are in the country. It is the orangey glow, visible even high up, that gives them away. You may have seen one of those greenhouses from afar but have you ever had the opportunity to step inside of one?

On April 2nd and April 3rd, if you were in the Netherlands, then you could have had that opportunity. The first weekend of April was an event called Kom in de Kas (Come into the Greenhouse). Kom in de Kas is a yearly event organized to get the public into the greenhouses and learning about farming of all varieties (fruits, vegetables, flowers, animals, etc.). This year was the 34th edition of the event and around 200 greenhouses participated.

To attend the event, the first thing to do is to check the website. This is where you can find a breakdown of all the regions that are taking part, on which days, which times and also a breakdown of the different greenhouses that will be open and what they will have on offer. You can search via region or postcode and it is a really good idea to write down a couple of addresses. Once you find your first location, usually by following a mixture of your own directions/gps and the Kom in de Kas signs, you can then pick up a map that shows all the different locations open in that particular region.

On location, you will find a whole mixture of events and items and no two locations are alike. Here are some of the highlights from the locations I visited:

• My first stop was a greenhouse growing flowers, anthuriums to be exact. Every where you turned were red, white and peach anthuriums. You could even buy some as you left.
• The next stop was a greenhouse filled with cucumbers.
• Up next was a small farm with sheep and cows. You could pick up some fresh honey and cheese here as well.
• We then headed to our last stop, which was in my opinion the best one. The farmer was growing green paprikas and just outside the main greenhouse, you could indulge your hunger in both cooked and raw paprika. You could buy ice cream and also a bag filled with locally grown vegetables. The farmer here was extra nice, chatting with everyone and he had provided a poster with information about the greenhouse, such as how many plants there were and the number of staff.

Kom in de Kas is always an interesting event, even if you aren’t interested in the greenhouses but just want to pick up some fresh, local produce. However, it is an event in the Netherlands that is often not heavily advertised. So if it does catch your interest then you would do well to bookmark the website now and make a note in your agenda for the end of March/beginning of April next year.

All photos courtesy of Kom in de Kas