WHAT is VOKO UTRECHT?
WORKING TOGETHER
We cooperate with local farmers and buy their products at a fair and reasonable price for both the producer and the consumer.
TRANSPARENCY
We want it to be clear for everybody where the food comes from and how it was produced.
QUALITY
Our products are healthy and fresh, they are made as environmentally friendly as possible and with a minimum of waste in the process.
A food collective?
We are a group of about 70 people from Utrecht joined as a food collective (VOKO). VOKO Utrecht wants to bring fresh, (mostly) organic and locally grown food to the city at a reasonable price. We’d love for anyone who is interested to join us! We are a volunteer-run collective, which means that each member takes up responsibility. As member of VOKO you can contribute in many ways. Just a little effort can be enough to keep the good food coming. VOKO is divided into different working groups for you to choose from and become active in. Below is a brief outline of our method.
How it works!
Introduction
At the start of your membership you need to join an introduction which will give you a more detailed impression of us and get all your questions answered. For signing up to an introduction, please send an e-mail to info@vokoutrecht.nl.
Ordering procedure
Every two weeks members of VOKO can order food online, based upon availability. Our suppliers register the amount of products they have in stock. In our webshop you can choose which products you want by which amount. Payment method is iDEAL. You can submit an order from Sunday to Tuesday and come pick it up on Wednesday, from 6 p.m. at Café Averechts.
How we do it
VOKO Utrecht is a not-for-profit organization consisting of five working groups. Members can contribute to them in one way or another. There is a group for administration, distribution, IT, suppliers contact and promotional activities. The food transport is being done by car, according to a driver schedule. Members invest approximately 2 to 4 hours of their free time per month into a task for VOKO.
Thanks to our collective effort we can bypass distribution centres and retailers and still offer quality produce at affordable prices.
Benefits VOKO
A frequently asked question is that there are all sorts of organic food boxes on the market, so what is the difference ? Well it is always good to have options. So here is a quick overview of the benefits of VOKO:
- – Feel-good food: nothing beats fresh, seasonal food from soil to plate
- – Central pick-up point: Café Averechts, Lijsterstraat 49, Utrecht
- – Like-minded people: share your guilty pleasures and help VOKO grow
- – Fair price: attractive for farmers, affordable for consumers
- – Sustainable supply: less transport and up to no packaging is required
- – Choice: there is much to choose from and you decide what you need
Want to join hands?
Do you want to join VOKO or collaborate with us for your own project? Let us know! Send an e-mail to: info@vokoutrecht.nl.
Want to learn more about our suppliers?
Nieuw Slagmaat
Boerderij Nieuw Slagmaat is located on the border of Bunnik, Houten and Utrecht. This is a traditional mixed farm, which has been in the hands of the Van der Maat family for three generations now. A herd of Blaarkop cows grazes here, they produce cheese and meat. In the orchard, fruit is grown in an environmentally conscious way, for which the company has been rewarded with the Eco-label. VOKO Utrecht not only takes fruit, but also fruit juices from Nieuw Slagmaat. Nieuw Slagmaat is not afraid to experiment, that’s how they started growing kiwis in 2017!
Koningshof
At the border of Utrecht-Oost, next to Amelisweerd and on the Koningsweg, lies the Koningshof. The Koningshof was set up in 2013 by a group of befriended landscape architects, with the aim to transfer the traditional (vegetable) gardeners knowledge to the new generation and whilst preserving the original agricultural identity of the area.
The site had been fallow for 12 years before it was transferred; the greenhouse was still there, but it was completely overgrown and neglected. It was the beginning of a long process in which the greenhouse and the terrain were refurbished piece by piece.
Inside the greenhouse there are many different plants – from beans and cucumbers to spinach and lettuce. A special onion variety is being re-grown, which was always sold to Prince Bernhard – a cutting was found on the edge of the greenhouse.
At the Koningshof, the central focus is the preservation and transfer of traditional gardeners knowledge. In addition to the greenhouse, there is a learning environment for gardening. You can get your own garden in the greenhouse, and the people of the Koningshof teach you traditional cultivation and harvesting. At the back of the garden there are two bee houses – they are recently split and hopefully honey can be produced this summer.
You can also visit the Koningshof yourself to buy your vegetables there; signs indicate which plants can be sold and you can even choose your own lettuce which is then harvested right away. It doesn’t get any more fresh!