There are two gigantic beets on the sidewalk in front of Jelle and Joyce de Nijs’ house. The beets, which look more like a tree stump than an edible vegetable, are the winners of the 51st edition of De Dorstige Biet.
Jelle and Joyce de Nijs have been participating in the beet growing competition for years. All participants receive the seeds in the spring and try to grow the heaviest. The vegetables are harvested in November and weighed at the Bietenbal in Nieuwe Niedorp.
Nearly 500 participants take part in the competition, but Jelle easily defeated all opponents on Saturday with a club weighing 68.48 kilos. The beet from second place, grown by Dave Weel from Waarland, was more than twenty kilos lighter.
Growing for women
The nameplates are still there at the craters where the beets were harvested last week. Joyce’s was first in the women’s rankings with 47.75 kilos, and third in the general rankings. “I’m very happy with it.”
According to the winner, it is outdated that women still have to participate in a separate category. “I don’t think it’s outdated anymore, because women can lift heavy watering cans just as well as men.”