Author: Job Roskam

Peaks Challenge 2024

Semi-retired but still looking to challenge myself and the Peaks Challenge was definitly the hardest day of cycling in my life. After 4+ months of hard training in The Dandenongs I was ready to take it on.

Equivalent to a mountain stage of the Tour de France, Peaks Challenge is a 235km ride with 4000+ metres of climbing and a 13-hour deadline.

Set across three of the Victorian high country’s most famous climbs, you’ll tackle the ascents of Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham and finally, ‘The Beast’ that is the back of Falls Creek.

Video of the Peaks Challenge ride

7am start with 2000 other cyclists.

Mount Hotham

Mount Hotham top

Aim was to complete the Peaks Challenge within 13 hours, but did it in 11:48 which was really good as it was a very hot day and many struggled with the heat.
Already registred for next year and more training ahead as I want to ride it in less than 11 hours.

Video of the Peaks Challenge ride

Job Roskam is a member of Bicycle Network

Bicycle Network represents the rights of people who ride bikes, encourages more people to live active, healthy lives and is supported by almost 50,000 members and a national team of volunteers.

March 10, 2024
AgVita Analytical

Roskam Pty Ltd have selected AgVita Analytical as their preferred analytical service provider.

For years gerbera and rose growers have been sending drainwater samples to Holland, but the cost of sending it overseas is high, and it could take up to 3 weeks before you receive the results.

AgVita Analytical have a much faster return, if you send your drainwater sample early in the week with AU Express Post you have the results back at the end of the week.

Roskam Pty Ltd will have a look at your test results and make recommendation for adjustments to your A & B tank mix.

AgVita Analytical is used by many vegetable growers as they have proved to supply reliable results.

Contact us if you would like to know more about our our consultancy services.

April 21, 2021
Multigrow flyer and advertisement

Check out our new Multigrow rockwool flyer and advertisement. You will find our new advertisement in the coming issues of the HFF newsletter and PCA Soilless magazine.

Click here to download our Multigrow rockwool flyer.

Multigrow rockwool – Sustainable rockwool for cannabis, flower and vegetable Growers.
A unique point of Multigrow rockwool is that it contains an all-natural binder (ECOSE®). ECOSE® Technology is a revolutionary, new, formaldehyde-free binder technology, based on rapidly renewable materials instead of petro-based chemicals. It reduces embodied energy and delivers superior environmental sustainability.
Multigrow rockwool is sterile and therefore free of diseases, insects and weeds. Multigrow rockwool has an optimal balance of water holding capacity and porosity which leads to healthy, fast-growing plants!

In Australia and New Zealand Roskam Pty Ltd is the agent for the Benfried Multigrow rockwool. The rockwool slabs will be sold under the Multigrow brand name. The rockwool plugs, cubes, and blocks are also sold under the Speedgrow or Speedgrow Green brand name.

Multigrow is the third largest rockwool brand, it is made in Europe and sold by Benfried b.v. from The Netherlands to growers all over the world.

Multigrow rockwool has a wide range of plugs, cubes, blocks and slabs which can be used for propagation and cultivation of cannabis, flowers and vegetables.

May 27, 2020
Company name change

We would like to inform you that from 10 March 2020 our company name has changed from Roskam Young Plants Pty Ltd to Roskam Pty Ltd.

Roskam Pty Ltd
ABN 14091799218 (not changed)

2000 -2020 Roskam Young Plants Pty Ltd

March 10, 2020
Benfried Multigrow rockwool

Benfried’s Multigrow Rockwool will soon be available through Roskam Pty Ltd. Benfried B.V. from The Netherlands have appointed Job Roskam as their Australian and New Zealand agent for the Multigrow rockwool.

“Job Roskam brought all the right qualifications and skills to the table and turned out to be a perfect match for us”, explains Fried Koop of Benfried B.V. For Job Roskam it was an obvious choice to choose Benfried’s Multigrow rockwool as he already used it when he was gerbera grower in The Netherlands. Multigrow is the third largest horticultural rockwool brand, it is made in Europe and sold by Benfried B.V. from The Netherlands to growers all over the world.

In Australia and New Zealand Roskam Pty Ltd is the agent for the Benfried Multigrow rockwool. The rockwool slabs will be sold under the Multigrow brand name.

Benfried Multigrow rockwool has a wide range of plugs, cubes, blocks and slabs which can be used for propagation and cultivation of cannabis, flowers and vegetables.

Multigrow – Sustainable Rockwool for cannabis, flower and vegetable Growers

A unique point of Multigrow rockwool is that it contains an all-natural binder (ECOSE®). ECOSE® Technology is a revolutionary, new, formaldehyde-free binder technology, based on rapidly renewable materials instead of petro-based chemicals. It reduces embodied energy and delivers superior environmental sustainability.
Multigrow rockwool is sterile and therefore free of diseases, insects and weeds. Multigrow rockwool has an optimal balance of water holding capacity and porosity which leads to healthy, fast-growing plants!

Click here to read an article about the Multigrow rockwool grow cubes for gerberas.

YouTube vide – Multigrow Rockwool cubes for gerberas

Superior Rooting Volume
Multigrow rockwool features a vertical fibre structure, resulting in a very even distribution of nutrient solutions throughout. Due to its high capillary character, even the upper layer is protected from harmful evaporation and fully available to the roots.

Optimum Water – Air Ratio
Multigrow rockwool features a unique combination of high-water absorption capacity and high drainage capacity, always ensuring the optimum water – air ratio. This makes growing with Multigrow very easy and very controllable.

Chemically Neutral
Multigrow rockwool is chemically neutral, germ-free, inert and sterile. A quick and clean start of the crop is no longer a problem. pH and EC levels are neutral and can be adjusted to any preference level. In the production of these slabs a formaldehyde-free binder is used and that is why the colour is naturally brown.

Weed & Disease-Free Environment
Multigrow rockwool is a natural alternative for growing plants in the soil. It provides the grower a clean, well-controlled and disease-free rooting medium. Resulting in optimum yields and less money spent for pest, weed and disease control.

Multigrow Premium
– Sustainable rock wool products for vegetable cultivation with formaldehyde-free binder.
– Strong development of roots due to the lack of plant-unfriendly material.
– Stronger plant growth, which reduces the risk of pests and diseases.
– Advised by crop advisers

Multigrow Coarse Fibre
– The basic rock wool products for vegetable growing with coarse fibres for a longer mat life.
– Can be grown both wet and dry.
– Horizontal wool structure, making it a better root wig all year round.
– Standard available in black / white foil (also for better roots).
– Plant holes available for an additional charge.

Multigrow Coarse Fibre Plus
– Multi-year rock wool products for rose cultivation.
– Specially developed rock wool fibres for long-term use.
– The rock wool mat is more resistant to acids, which means that the benefits of a new Multigrow mat still prove their worth even after years.
– Very suitable for multi-year crops of 5 – 7 years.

Multigrow rockwool has a wide range of plugs, cubes, blocks and slabs which can be used for propagation and cultivation of cannabis, flowers and vegetables.

February 14, 2020
Growing & Industry trends

Greenhouse growing & Industry trends

I have been fortunate enough to travel frequently both within Australia and overseas and see new trends and growing methods. I would like to briefly share with you some of the things I have seen during my trips, with the hope that they provide you with some ideas.

Energy cost

The Dutch greenhouse industry has been working on the Het Nieuwe Telen (HNT) project for several years. ‘Het Nieuwe Telen’ translates roughly to New Way of Growing or Next Generation Growing, and it focuses on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity which can make a significant contribution to a balanced greenhouse climate with less energy.

Strategies to optimise crop production without unnecessary consumption of energy and water include:

• Double screens, one for energy savings and one for climate control

• Active Ventilation Systems for ventilation and de-humidification with minimum energy use

• Energy efficient electrical equipment, fans, pump, etc. The initial investment may be higher but the operational costs over the lifetime of the more efficient equipment will pay back big time.

Labour cost

In Australia, labour costs continue to rise and good people are harder to find, so growers are investing in labour saving equipment like packing lines, crop removing machines and labour registration software- changes like these will be the key to keep labour costs under control.

Hygiene

In the Netherlands a key priority is to avoid bringing in pest and diseases and to avoid spreading them during crop work and harvesting. Royal Brinkman is very successful with implementing hygiene concepts to eliminate any chance of spreading diseases as good hygiene is not just one thing but a combination of measures.

During my last visit to a large gerbera grower in Holland I saw equipment that cleaned and sterilized picking trolleys before they go back in the greenhouse after dropping of flowers in the packing shed.

Reliable quality product (available all the time)

In The Netherlands companies are getting bigger and they all have a common goal- to provide their customers with a year round quality product with a fresh, healthy and sustainable image.

In the last 10 years Spanish growers, with support of their government, have moved away from using a lot of pesticides and they now supply a large part of Europe’s organic produce.

World Horti Center

If you travel to Holland you can visit the World Horti Center. It is the leading innovation centre of the international greenhouse horticulture sector. A platform where business, education and government jointly innovate, connect, create and inspire.

World Horti Center is the knowledge and innovation center for international greenhouse horticulture. A leading platform where business, education, research and government jointly innovate, connect, inspire and share knowledge.

Every year, World Horti Center is visited by 25,000 international professionals, who are looking for connection, knowledge and innovations in horticulture. We connect parties who want to contribute in sustainable food supply and greening the world. Leading horticultural companies and innovations are represented at our year-round trade fair. Here is a complete reflection of technology, supply, floriculture and food horticulture.

August 13, 2019
Job Roskam in Hortidaily.com

“In Australia, they are cultivating more the Dutch way”
Although he is saying goodbye to Royal Brinkman Australia, his heart remains in this country filled with horticultural possibilities. Back in 2000, Job Roskam moved to the Land Down Under and since then has seen the greenhouse horticultural industry develop at a rapid pace.
“Especially the vegetable cultivation has developed strongly in the last ten years,” he says. “The fact that supermarkets now need a qualitatively better and steadier supply of produce is an import reason for that. When I first got here back in 2000, the ornamental industry was ahead of the vegetable cultivation, mainly because many flower growers had a Dutch background. Nowadays, flower growers are struggling because there is a lot more import, and then there was ten years ago. Although this might be changing now that the Australian government is implementing stricter import requirements.”

Job Roskam – Royal Brinkman Australia

Australia and New Zealand
In his role as managing director of Royal Brinkman Australia, Job was not only active on the Australian market but also in New Zealand. “Due to the location of both countries on the southern hemisphere, they can cultivate good products when it is winter for the northern hemisphere. New Zealand has a smaller national market, with a population of about 5 million. Because of that, it exports a part of the production to Australia and Asia. Australia, on the other hand, with a population of over 25 million, has a much larger national market and a lot less is exported. The downside, however, is that production is expensive in Australia while it can be produced a lot cheaper in other places in Asia.”
Despite that, the different climate zones in the country make it possible to cultivate a great variety of products. “In some cultivation areas, they grow in the open air or under a simple plastic greenhouse. “In the greenhouses made from glass you mainly find tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers,” Job says. “Besides that, medicinal marijuana is very hot at the moment, and many investments are made in it. There are plenty of opportunities for suppliers to be found, and because they are now cultivating more in the ‘Dutch’ way, the demand for technology is also increasing. This is something the Dutch are still very good at.”

Challenges: labour, energy, and water
There are also challenges, and for the growers, these challenges mainly have to do with labour, energy, and the availability of water. “The energy efficiency in Australia still has plenty of room for improvement, even if people started using energy-efficient equipment. They also don’t work with ‘Next Generation Growing’ all that much yet. The lack of water is due to the fact that a large part of Australia is currently having a drought, and things don’t seem to be getting better anytime soon.”

There is also a lack of farm workers, especially in the areas outside of big cities where labour-intensive horticulture mainly takes place. Due to the fact that immigration has become more complicated, it is also harder to bring in people with specific knowledge. A lot of work is also being done by seasonal workers and backpackers, which is now being supported by the government. Regulations have recently changed, allowing backpackers to work for a longer period of time. Besides that, the government has been using the ‘Pacific Labour Scheme’ since last year, allowing more employees form countries in the Asian Pacific region, like Fiji, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea to start working in Australia and New Zealand. This in order to help with the current lack of farm workers.”

Award
“I always gave my honest opinion when I was in Australia. I’d rather not sell a certain product if I don’t think it is right for the customer. After all, a long-lasting relationship with a client is much more important than a quick sale”, says Job, who recently was handed an award by the PCA for his ‘contribution to the Australian Protected Cropping industry’.

“As a former gerbera grower from the Dutch town of Vierpolders, I was raised with group excursions and sharing information. In Australia, I have continued this. The big companies get their information easily because seed companies and suppliers always approach them. It is, however, the group below them that is in need of information. That is why I think the work done by the PCA and the HFF is vital to the development of horticulture.”

Rest
With the award on the mantel; it is now time to relax. “I intended only to leave Royal Brinkman Australia when a good replacement for me was found. Now that they have, I know that what we have built over the past years will continue running smoothly.” Job doesn’t yet know what he will be doing next. “I will first take some time to relax, and then I will see what comes my way. But I won’t be going back to the Netherlands. Not only don’t my wife and children want to move back, but Australia is a land with many opportunities for people with specific horticultural knowledge.”

July 30, 2019
Job Roskam wins PCA Chairperson’s Award

Job Roskam is the winner of the 2019 PCA Chairperson’s Award (Nicky Mann) for contribution to the Australian Protected Cropping industry.

Protected Cropping Australia (PCA) is the peak industry body representing commercial hydroponic and greenhouse growers Australia wide.
PCA members also include equipment and installation suppliers, specialist consultants and advisors, researchers and educators.

Protected Cropping Australia Award

Protected Cropping Australia (PCA) is the peak industry body representing commercial hydroponic and greenhouse growers Australia wide.

PCA members also include equipment and installation suppliers, specialist consultants and advisors, researchers and educators.

July 13, 2019
Job Roskam in Soilless magazine

History

Job Roskam grew up on a family farm in Holland. In his youth he looked on as his father switched in 1975 from tomatoes and cucumbers over to gerberas. As he joined the business they upgraded from growing in the ground to rockwool. Growing in rockwool means that the small tissue culture plants must start in rockwool plugs, then into rockwool blocks followed by rockwool slabs. Production increased and success was achieved including breeding their own gerbera varieties. Their exclusive varieties meant higher prices at the Dutch flower auction.
It took less than 2 years to recoup an $80,000 investment in 1994, when they were one of the first gerbera farms to mechanise certain aspects of the flower processing. The heater purchased to sterilize drain water quickly paid for itself too. Recycling their nutrient meant less fertilizers purchased, and less water required.

Click here to read the rest of the article of Job Roskam in the PCA Soilless Magazine.

Roskam Gerberas propagation greenhouse

Roskam Gerberas propagation greenhouse (photo taken in 1994)

Dedicating an area to propagate their plants for longer than normal period; brought on a faster flower onset once the plants were moved to the main greenhouse. Indeed their flowers appeared in a few weeks instead of the normal period of 8-10 weeks. 80% of their gerberas went to the Aalsmeer Flower Auction and 20% went to the Westland Auction.
As a young grower in the Netherlands, Job’s dedication to industry was evident serving as a board member of the L.T.O. Gerberas, a horticulture organisation involved with growing technique research. He was also a member of the Aalsmeer Flower Auction Gerbera Product Commission.

Roskam Gerberas flower production greenhouse

Above photo was taken at Roskam Gerberas greenhouse in Holland (1994) with their own variety Nicoletta. Bred by Job Roskam the Nicoletta was at one stage grown on 30% of the greenhouse area (total greenhouse area 22.000 M2).

May 1, 2016
Gerbera cups brochure
Roskam Pty Ltd. is the worldwide agent of the Japanese company Nakayama Ltd which is specialized in the manufacturing of high quality gerbera cups (small plastic sleeves) and gerbera cup machines. The gerbera cup protect the gerbera flower from damage and give the florist and consumer a better quality gerbera.

YouTube video of gerbera cup machine

Each gerbera flower is individually protected with a cup (small plastic sleeve) the gerbera flower will handle the transport period much better without damaging the flower. By using the gerbera cups the gerbera flower will arrive at the florist or wholesaler in top quality, which reduce the chance of claims.

Click here to view our new gerbera cups and gerbera cup machine brochure.

The advantages of using Japanese cups compare to boxes or Flower rackets are.
The gerberas are individually protected which decrease the chance of damaging the gerbera flower.

The cost of the packaging and transport per gerbera flower are lower.

Reducing transport cost by up to 50%.

No more bent gerbera stems.

Stem length of all the gerberas could be the same.

Easy to transport the gerberas in water.

The advantages of using Japanese cups compared to netting are.

Reduce botrytis or mould which could build up in the transport period because the flower stays open.

You could use the gerbera cup-machine to put the cups on, which saves labour.

Less chance of botrytis or mould during transport because the cups are perforated.

Easy to remove from the gerberas.

Visually more attractive.

The gerbera cups are available for mini, standard, and giant gerberas.

Type Size

Mini 112mm / 22mm / 85mm

Standard 136mm / 30mm / 100mm

Giant 150mm / 30mm / 120mm

Gerbera cup machine. There are gerbera cup machines operating in Australia, America, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa with very satisfied comments of our customers, with the high labour cost in these countries the gerbera cup machine save growers a lot money on their labour cost. The gerbera cup machine is suitable for standard gerberas.
Gerbera cup machine
October 7, 2015