Margret Munster has worked for the field trial site at WUR Lelystad for 23 years. Photo: Guy Ackermans They are indispensable on campus: cleaners, caretakers, gardeners, receptionists – the list is long. Resource seeks these key people out. This time, meet Margret Munster (65), who works on the field trial site at WUR Lelystad.
‘I have been a seasonal worker here for 23 years, every year from April to November. I always dreamt of having a farm of my own, because I helped my father on his arable farm and I loved flowers and plants. But things turned out differently, and my brother took over the farm.
WUR asks me back every year; I think that’s because I’m quite precise and I fit into the group well, even though the rest are all men. I know the tasks and what the consequences are. I speak to inexperienced colleagues if they are doing something the wrong way, because I feel responsible for the results.
At the start of the season, I stake out the experimental fields and I plant and transplant various crops, although a lot of things are done by machines these days. That’s fine because it used to be quite hard work doing everything by hand.
I like harvest time best because it’s nice weather then
After planting, we label the fields and start taking care of each section. Samples are regularly harvested by hand to assess growth. I also assess Phytophthora trial plots, counting how many spots the fungus has made on the plant. When the time comes for harvesting, we check each crop for different things. We might measure moisture levels in grain by hand, for example, or we examine potatoes for outbreaks of Phytophthora.
I like harvest time best because it’s nice weather then. And it’s satisfying when you get a good result together and have figures for the researchers. For me the worst thing in my work is a failed harvest. Just last summer a lot of potatoes rotted because of the rain.
I’ll be retiring soon and I’m happy about that, but I don’t dislike working. This sort of work keeps you fit too, although I do notice that I’m getting older. Sometimes I nod off on the sofa at eight o’clock in the evening. I’ll miss working out in the fresh air, which I love. Even when it’s wet – sloshing around in the mud in your rubber boots occasionally is quite fun.’