Spring all year at Bosch Berries
Dutch growers, fresh strawberries and a greenhouse built for every season
KENTUCKY STRAWBERRY SEASON is sweet, but short.
By July, many local patches have already slowed down or closed for the year. But inside a sprawling greenhouse in Somerset, spring never really ends.
At Bosch Berries, rows of strawberry plants stretch beneath carefully managed light, climate and irrigation systems designed to keep berries growing year-round. The result is something still unusual in Kentucky: locally grown strawberries in every season.
And sometimes, they even come from a vending machine.
Inside the lobby of Bosch Berries’ greenhouse on Dahl Road, customers can buy fresh strawberries from a self-serve machine—a novelty in Kentucky but common in the Netherlands, where fresh produce vending machines are part of everyday life.
The company, operated by sixth-generation farmers Wouter and Tijmen van den Bosch, transformed the former AppHarvest greenhouse into Bosch Berries’ first U.S. operation after acquiring the facility in late 2023.
“From the very first day, we have felt welcomed in Kentucky,” says Tijmen van den Bosch. “The people here are warm, hardworking and eager to learn, and we are really proud of the team we have been able to build in such a short time. That means a lot to us.”
Today, the 30-acre greenhouse produces strawberries, blackberries and bell peppers using hydroponics and controlled-environment agriculture.
Sensors monitor light, climate and crop conditions to help create what the company describes as “year-round spring” inside the greenhouse.
The location also gives Bosch a supply-chain advantage. From Somerset, berries move quickly to leading U.S. retailers.
Bosch Berries also has become part of the local community, selling produce at the Lake Cumberland Farmers Market and donating strawberries to families in need—including after last year’s tornadoes and through local food banks.
“Bosch Berries has become a valued consumer-member of our co-op,” says Kevin Newton, president and CEO of South Kentucky RECC. “Their willingness to support neighbors speaks volumes about the kind of company they are.”
Rooted in history
Long before Bosch Berries arrived in Somerset, the van den Bosch family had already spent generations growing food.
The family business began in 1854 when Leonardus van den Bosch started farming in Bleiswijk, Netherlands. During the economic hardships of the 1930s, the family shifted to greenhouse cultivation to extend growing seasons and support future generations.
Today, sixth-generation farmers Wouter and Tijmen van den Bosch lead the Kentucky operation, continuing a family tradition that combines innovation, adaptation and a passion for growing high-quality food.
