Family Swennen

Francis Swennen runs a fruit farm in Sint-Truiden. He has been growing cherries and apples there for 50 years, two products that have long been a familiar part of the Haspengouw landscape. Over that time, he has gained a great deal of experience, but the essence of his work has remained the same: taking good care of the trees and looking forward to the harvest.

After half a century in the profession, he has seen fruit growing change significantly over the years. Yet he still enjoys his work just as much as ever. His connection with other growers and his involvement with BelOrta mean a great deal to him. “I’m proud of BelOrta. I think a BelOrta sign at the farm is better advertising than a commercial on television,” he says with a smile.

The moment Francis looks forward to most each year is the harvest. The first cherries are picked at the end of June. By then, months of work have already gone into the trees. They have been pruned, cared for and closely monitored. “Being able to pick what I’ve worked for all year, that’s still the best feeling there is.”

Whether all that work results in a good harvest is not entirely in Francis’s hands. Hail or frost can cause a great deal of damage in a short space of time. So every season means hoping for good weather, enough fruit and a fair price.

Even at 70, Francis is still busy with the farm every day. The work keeps him active and gives structure to his days. Sitting still is not for him. “What else am I supposed to do? Drink beer all day? That’s not for me either,” he says with a laugh. The daily work on the farm gives him energy and keeps him involved in what he loves doing most.

As Francis walks around the farm, he knows what is growing on every plot. He knows his orchards and is proud of what he has built up over the years. At the same time, he looks with admiration at today’s larger farms. He does sometimes worry about the future. In his view, the rules are becoming more complex, and there is no guarantee that someone will take over the farm later on.

Francis also notices that people do not always stop to think about where their food comes from. To him, however, the importance of local growers is clear. “People have food because of us. We live in luxury, but that is often forgotten. If there are no growers left, what are you going to eat?”

His favourite place remains the fields during harvest. That is where you can see the result of a year spent caring for the trees, monitoring them and waiting. Ask him to describe his fruit in just a few words, and he keeps it simple: fresh and healthy.