From carrots to onions and from potatoes to beetroot. In the countryside of Ledeacker, 19-year-old Julia Cornelissen grows and sells it all herself. What started as a hobby in her grandmother’s old vegetable garden has grown into a successful business. Since the start two years ago, Juul’s Vegetables has been growing like crazy. “I largely do it on my own, but I do get help from my parents.”
Julia uses a shovel to remove a new bunch of roots from the ground. “I sowed these at the end of February,” she says proudly. “I think it’s magical that a seed or plant in the ground can grow into a product that people have on their plates.”
The passion for farming life was instilled in Julia at an early age. Her parents first had a dairy farm, but later switched to arable farming. “I then followed the cultivation and technology course in Horst. During an internship with a vegetable grower, I came into contact with vegetable crops.”
During that internship, the seed was planted to start growing vegetables ourselves. She started on a small piece of land next to her parental home. “It used to be my grandmother’s vegetable garden. I then planted it completely. At a certain point the vegetables started to grow and I quickly noticed that it was quite a lot to eat myself.”
“I then started thinking about how I could share my passion with others,” she says. She soon came up with the idea of starting her own shop. It wasn’t much later Juul’s Vegetables a fact. “It’s real low budget started. If it didn’t work out, it would have been cleared up in no time. But people were very enthusiastic.”
“That doesn’t sound like much, but keeping track of it all yourself is quite a lot.”
Now, two years later, she has expanded considerably. In addition to the vegetable garden, she has been given two more pieces of land, together accounting for half a football field. “That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s quite a lot to keep track of it all yourself. In the spring I start planting here and when this is full, I go to another field. There I plant the last vegetables for the winter.”
Sometimes it really means sweating. “I largely do it alone, but I do get help from my parents. They are very proud and happy to lend a helping hand. For example, my mother makes homemade soups from the vegetables. I can sell these in my shop.”
What makes Julia special is her direct contact with customers. Anyone who passes by and sees her on the land is often spontaneously given a tour. “I like to take people through the cultivation process. I like to show how everything grows. This way customers can see exactly where their food comes from and that it is really fresh.”
The young farmer’s entrepreneurship did not go unnoticed. Julia was nominated for the title Young Agricultural Talent 2026. “I saw it pass by and our mom told me to give up on myself. I thought my company would be too small, but was nominated anyway. I think it’s my young age. Many people my age don’t just set up their own business.”
She did not win the title, but she passed her training. She picks every day and wants to continue growing. “Next year I will start studying at the HAS in Den Bosch. I also want to continue growing in vegetable cultivation. I really enjoy doing that. They are my vegetables and I take care of them with a lot of love.”
