It was an early morning! We departed at 6:30 a.m. for the flower market: FloraHolland. Our tour guide, Niek, showed us around the market. We couldn't believe the thousands of flowers we saw coming through the marketplace. It was interesting to learn about how the flowers are brought into the market between 3 p.m. and 3 a.m., and then sold between 3:30 a.m./4 a.m.-ish through about noon.

The tomato production facility, Duijvesteiin, was next. We learned about its renewable efforts in producing electricity through drilling a hole for geothermal energy in the ground and minimizing its water and energy usage. The company seems to have a clear energy plan for the future, especially in regards to geothermal energy. Aud told us the company expects to earn back its geothermal investment in 15 years. The company needs only 2% of the electricity they are producing geothermally, and therefore 98% of the electricy generated is sold to local customers.
We stopped for lunch at Pancakes De Suikerbol not too far from Duijvesteiin. We could choose how we wanted our pancakes done by pairing any two ingredients from a list it provided us with-anything from peppers to paprika, bacon, apples, and cinnamon. Members in our group had bacon and ham, apple and raisins, and ham and cheese. The pancakes were definitely not pancakes by American standards, but it was a true cultural experience.

Our visit at Rijk Zwaan vegetable breeding was very beneficial for our group, as we continue to explore public perception of genetically modified organisms. Wim gave a detailed presentation on Rijk Zwaan operations, which began in 1924 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Many in our class asked questions about GMOs and Wim said GMOs are not popular in the EU because consumers are uncertain of what they do, so they feel the technology is not needed. This information will play an important role in our final project.

We finished up our day with a boat tour of the harbor in Rotterdam.  Then we ate supper at Brutus Bear. We indulged in some French fries with real ketchup and some enjoyed the all-you-can-eat ribs. This was Neak's last day with us. We'll all miss him!