Jorian Damen, Business Administration alumnus, is co-owner and urban farmer at ‘Gelukkige Groentes’ (‘Happy Vegetables’). He dared to change course completely 2.5 years ago: from an office job at a commercial company to growing vegetables at two self-harvesting gardens. And with success, because ‘Gelukkige Groentes’ became the charity of the ‘Nijmeegse Vierdaagsefeesten*’ in 2023. Apart from the impact on nature and climate, Jorian also creates social value with the business.
From office job to growing vegetables at two self-harvesting gardens
Name
Jorian Damen
Current position
Co-owner and urban farmer at ‘Gelukkige Groentes’
Vooropleiding
Why did you choose to study Business Administration?
"In high school, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I was good with numbers and Business Administration seemed like a study with a lot of potential."
How did this study add value to your career?
"The course was a good foundation for many different positions in the work field. I eventually started in a finance role and made the switch to marketing quite quickly. Like most scientific studies, the course content was mainly theoretical but it definitely helped me in analytical skills and critical thinking. I am still reaping the benefits of that."
"However, I was not becoming happy with my office job in commercial companies. I completely changed course after five years and started growing vegetables with ‘Gelukkige Groentes’. Given that I am also co-owner and entrepreneur here, my studies and experience in business still comes in handy. Together with my partner Sam, we want to turn a 'woolly concept' into a serious business model with positive impact on people and nature. Just knowing how to grow vegetables won't get us there."
What are your duties in your current position?
"I work at our two self-harvesting gardens (Malden and Ooij) where subscription holders come to harvest their vegetables daily. Working outside with my hands: weeding, sowing, planting and potting. I also teach vegetable gardening at primary schools and organise vegetable gardening courses and company outings. A very diverse role."
I really believe that we can make a difference by showing that farming is possible with positive social impact
What do you find most interesting about your work and in what ways do you make an impact?
"Besides enjoying doing physical work, I get particular satisfaction from the value we can create with ‘Gelukkige Groentes’. Whereas the agricultural sector - as we know it - is becoming increasingly stagnant, we actually see the soil becoming more fertile, biodiversity increasing and vegetables growing beautifully without the use of pesticides, fertilisers or heavy machinery. This is much more important to me than a fat salary and an expensive car."
"I really believe that we can make a difference by showing that farming is possible with positive social impact. Slowly, more and more people are joining us to see how we do this. Last year, the top brass of a chemical company (pesticide manufacturer) came by to learn about our way of working that makes pesticides unnecessary. That was pretty cool."
At Nijmegen School of Management, 'sustainable environment', 'resilient society' and 'social economy' are key themes. Do you contribute to these themes in your current position and in what way?
"Definitely. Besides the impact on nature and climate, we also want to create social value. Through our self-harvesting gardens, more people get in touch with where food comes from and engage with the farmer. Because they are members for a whole season, with no guarantees on the amount of harvest, we share the risks. This creates connection. So we really see our customers as a community."
"I also love the freedom of entrepreneurship. A year and a half ago, we wondered what we could do with a piece of free space in our garden. We thought it would be cool to grow for the Nijmegen Food Bank and donate the vegetables. We started raising money for this from companies in the region. A few months later, the vegetable beds and financing were in place and we were delivering 10 to 20 crates of vegetables every week. We even became the charity of the ‘Nijmeegse Vierdaagsefeesten’ in 2023. Sometimes things move so fast for me too that I barely realise that 2.5 years ago I was still working full-time in the office."
"My current colleagues have also all made a career switch. For instance, one of my colleagues was an adolescent health specialist and another worked in IT. We get a lot of messages from young people with good jobs who are unhappy in their work. I hope we can show them that you are in control and, above all, should do work that you find important."
(*) The Nijmegen Four-Day Festivities (‘Nijmeegse Vierdaagsefeesten’) are an annual event held in the week of the Nijmegen Four-Day Walk since 1970. During this event, various artists perform throughout Nijmegen city centre, in a wide variety of musical styles.