For another year, Leo Prins (65) from Naaldwijk gets to do what he loves: guiding people in auto traffic. He used to be a grower, though that wasn't the initial plan. "I wanted to become a gardener. I thought that would be much more enjoyable than being a grower," he shares in the series 'On the pipe with...' from Rodi.
Eventually, he became a grower. That was in 1978. It was a time of crisis, so finding work was difficult. It was only logical to return to the garden. "My father (who grew tomatoes and grapes) had already sold his. None of us wanted to take it over. So, I started working with other growers.
Over time, I wanted to progress, so I rented a garden and later bought one. Then, I grew carnations and freesias for myself for fifteen years. But after fifteen years, it was over. I had to keep putting in money, so I stopped."
He found it dreadful. "You see, being a grower is not just a job, it's your life. You're not just giving up your work but also your future dreams and even your home. Because we lived on the farm and had to leave. You leave everything behind, and with a wife and three children, you have to start over. Fortunately, I was able to wrap up financially, so we didn't have any debts, and we could even buy a house. In the village, that is. That took some getting used to. I had always lived in the countryside. But in the end, even that was manageable."