It’s safe to say that the majority of Greeks own a plot of land which is usually inherited by a parent or grandparent. In the past such land was either built on or sold but today construction requires a large investment and buyers of land are hard to find. Nonetheless, thanks to Greece’s Mediterranean weather there is always something that is likely to grow on most terrains and growing produce has become somewhat of a trend during the economic recession as land owners seek alternative land uses. Some have even decided to attempt a career from utilizing land, starting off as amateurs and gaining the skills to launch a business.
One such person is Paul Tritos who I meet on his berry patch in the picturesque hills of Metsovo. This is a town located at an altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level tucked in the mountains of Pindus in Northern Greece. I sit down with Paul as he shares his passion for berries and his love for the region he grew up in.
When I was a child I used to pick wild raspberries, blueberries and blackberries for my mother who loved making home-made jam. As an adult I saw a gap in the market. Berries are not cultivated in Northern Greece. The small quantities available are imported from other Balkan countries. The irony is that here in Metsovo the land is ideal for cultivating berries because it’s cold and at this exact location we are at 770 meters above sea level which is the right altitude for the berry plant to flourish.
I did my research, drove many miles to speak with other berry farmers in Central and Eastern Europe. In my quest I met a Swiss farmer that sells berry plants. I bought a few varieties and then started experimenting. While I was experimenting I got in contact with merchants to get an idea of interest levels. I was pleasantly surprised at the response. Demand for berries can outstrip supply very quickly especially in the late summer and early autumn months.
Almost 1 hectare. I rented the plot for 25 years in 2009 from its owner. It’s ideal because it’s precisely the size I wanted. It wasn’t worth my while to have smaller plots spread all over the place. It wouldn’t make sense time and cost wise.
My family helped out so the more the reason to really try and make this work. I’ve got a 5 year plan. It’s important to keep track of costs as these can spiral out for control quickly.
There’s water. The Metsovitikos River starts over here and it bathes the entire land. For this same reason the land here is very fertile. You can grow almost anything from its soil.
I had to get permission from the Local Forestry Commission and declare the plants I intended to cultivate to the Ministry of Rural Development. I didn’t need a special license as is required for other farming activities such as wine making or animal breeding. I set up my business and branded my berry products under the name orifrum which means mountain fruits.
May beetles, stink bugs, grasshoppers, bears and hot weather. The former eat your plants and the latter burns them. You need to take precautions because these risk factors can ruin your crop for the year. The berry is also very sensitive with a short shelf life and needs to be handled carefully.
Once collected they are packaged in 150g containers then stacked on pallets and sent to a tradesman in Athens that distributes to small and big retailers.
I’d like to offer families and children the opportunity for berry picking right here and perhaps establish a small deli on the land where I can offer guests jams, marmalade and gourmet products made from these very berries. That’s the next step.
While Paul’s story is by no means a huge success story, yet, it does however outline the thought process that allowed him to capitalize on his idea. Child memories generated the idea. A bit more digging resulted in identifying a gap in the market and thus crafting a strategy. Then came the experimentation phase, which included a SWOT analysis i.e. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of the product. The next logical step consisted of the strategy’s implementation, identification of potential sales channels and how to grow the business over the next 5 years. For first timers, Paul suggests to get advice from your local authority and speak to people that are in the same business.