You graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade, yet you are also involved in agriculture. Where does that passion come from?
In short, I would say that I have a desire to constantly learn and explore. So, along with completing both undergraduate and master’s studies at the Faculty of Architecture, I also graduated from the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Organizational Sciences at the University of Belgrade. Alongside my studies, I’ve been involved in entrepreneurship in various fields and industries, which has allowed me to learn and explore many different areas. One of the newest areas of interest has been agriculture.
You’re one of the founders of the farm and brand, Organela. Could you tell us more about it? Who are the other enthusiasts?
Organela officially started in July 2018 as a result of my friendship with my friend Pavle Djordjevic (29). As an Agricultural Faculty student, Pavle had dreamed of one day owning a farm, and in 2017, his family helped make that dream a reality. On the other hand, I’ve always been inclined towards entrepreneurial ventures and wanted to create a new brand and business, so I decided to join Pavle and elevate the concept of a farm to a new level. This led to the birth of Organela, with Pavle’s colleague from the faculty, Milos Jovic (28), joining us from the beginning, and later, my fellow architecture colleague Teodora Tasic (27) became a part of the team. We are also supported by a large group of friends, acquaintances, and collaborators who generously assist us in bringing our ideas to life.
What do you produce on the farm, and how do you go about it?
We offer fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and other products that are a result of our work. Some of the most popular products, besides fresh fruits and vegetables, include nettle cream soup, organic strawberry spread, and organic strawberry juice. A defining characteristic of our production is that we don’t spray the plants, not even with products permitted in organic agriculture. We follow a concept we call “What grows, grows.” This means that we may lose some yield, but we gain in quality.
Have you completed organic certification, or have you considered it?
Yes, we have obtained organic certification. We possess an official organic certificate for all of our products and production processes.
How do you market your products? Do you find it easy to reach customers?
People in our region are well acquainted with and remember the taste of quality, untreated rural food, fruits, and vegetables that our grandparents cultivated for generations. Organically grown fruits and vegetables aren’t a new concept but rather a return to traditional values. More and more people are recognizing the importance of healthy, organic food and the dangers and consequences associated with conventionally produced and chemically treated food.
From the very beginning, we have had our website, www.organela.rs, along with active profiles on Instagram and Facebook. Our products can be ordered through our online store on our website, as well as by phone, email, and social media. We deliver products directly from the farm to the customer’s doorstep using our refrigerated vehicles, ensuring that the food arrives fresh and at peak quality.
What are the biggest obstacles you face?
We view all obstacles as opportunities for further growth and development. One of the initial challenges we encountered was a lack of funds. The investments needed to start agricultural production are, without a doubt, quite high – especially for those like us, who began without land, machinery, delivery vehicles, or even basic materials and tools. Practically everything we have earned so far has been reinvested into growth, acquiring new machines, materials, and tools. We are also actively engaged in writing and implementing innovative projects, having won several financial awards from domestic and foreign institutions and funds. In essence, we believe and demonstrate that all obstacles are surmountable with enough dedication and hard work.
What would be the most significant support in developing and advancing your business?
The world we live in changes daily, and it is young people like us who have the energy and potential to keep pace with those changes. We are trying to re-establish a direct connection between rural areas and urban consumers, between agricultural producers and buyers. Serbia has outstanding potential for agriculture, and we want to make the most of it; however, for that, we also need more organized support from the government. Otherwise, we are left to fend for ourselves.
The original note in Serbian:
Završili ste Arhitektonski fakultet u Beogradu, a između ostalog bavite se i poljoprivredom. Odakle ta želja?
Ukratko, rekao bih da kod mene postoji pre svega želja da sve vreme učim i istražujem. Te tako, pored osnovnih i master studija na Arhitektonskom fakultetu, završio sam studije i na Pravoslavnom bogoslovskom fakultetu, kao i na Fakultetu organizacionih nauka Univerziteta u Beogradu. Uporedo sa školovanjem, sve vreme se bavim i preduzetništvom u različitim sferama i industrijama, kroz koje takođe dosta učim i istražujem mnoge oblasti, a jedna od najnovijih oblasti je upravo poljoprivreda.
Jedan ste od osnivača seoskog imanja i brenda Organela. Možete li nam reći nešto više o tome? Ko su ostali entuzijasti?
Organela je zvanično nastala u julu 2018. godine kao rezultat mog poznanstva i prijateljstva sa drugarom Pavlom Đorđevićem (29). Pavle je još kao student Poljoprivrednog fakulteta želeo da jednog dana postane vlasnik poljoprivrednog gazdinstva, te mu je 2017. godine u tome pomogla njegova porodica. Sa druge strane, mene karakterišu brojni preduzetnički poduhvati, te sam želeo da stvorim novi brend i biznis, i odlučio da zajedno sa Pavlom ideju o poljoprivrednom gazdinstvu podignem na novi, viši nivo. Tako je nastala Organela, u kojoj je od samog početka i Pavlov kolega sa fakulteta Miloš Jović (28), a nešto kasnije nam se pridružila i moja koleginica sa fakulteta Teodora Tasić (27). Uz nas je takođe i veliki broj prijatelja, poznanika i saradnika koji nam nesebično pomažu u radu i realizaciji ideja.
Šta sve proizvodite na imanju i na koji način?
Našu ponudu čini sveže organsko voće, povrće i ostali gotovi proizvodi koji nastaju kao rezultat našeg rada. Neki od najpopularnijih proizvoda, pored svežeg voća i povrća, su potaž od koprive, namaz od organskih jagoda i sok od organskih jagoda. Ono što je osnovna karakteristika naše proizvodnje je da apsolutno ne prskamo biljke, čak ni sredstvima koja su dozvoljena u organskoj proizvodnji. Imamo koncept koji nazivamo „ŠRR – Šta rodi, rodi”. To znači da izgubimo na prinosu, ali dobijemo na kvalitetu.
Da li ste uradili organsku certifikaciju ili ste razmišljali o tome?
Uradili smo organsku sertifikaciju. Posedujemo zvanični organski sertifikat za sve naše proizvode i procese proizvodnje.
Na koji način plasirate svoje proizvode, da li lako dolazite do kupaca?
Ljudi sa naših prostora vrlo dobro poznaju i pamte ukuse kvalitetne seoske neprskane hrane, voća i povrća koje su naše bake i deke vekovima uzgajali. Organski uzgajano voće i povrće ne predstavlja samo po sebi nešto novo, već upravo povratak starim vrednostima. Sve je više ljudi koji prepoznaju značaj zdrave, organske ishrane kao i opasnosti i posledice koje sa sobom nosi konvencionalna i nezdravim preparatima tretirana i procesirana hrana.
Od samog početka imamo svoj web sajt www.organela.rs i aktivne profile na Instagram i Facebook društvenim mrežama. Naše proizvode je moguće poručiti putem online prodavnice na našem web sajtu, ali takođe i putem telefona, elektronske pošte i društvenih mreža. Dostavu proizvoda vršimo sa sela direktno na kućnu adresu našim vozilima hladnjačama, tako da i na taj način osiguravamo i garantujemo da će hrana našim kupcima doći u najkvalitetnijem i najsvežijem stanju.
Šta su najveće prepreke s kojima se suočavate?
Sve prepreke sa kojima se suočavamo sagledavamo kao priliku za dalji rast i razvoj. Kao jednu od početnih prepreka sa kojom smo se suočili, mogli bismo izdvojiti nedostatak materijalnih sredstava. Ulaganja u početak poljoprivredne proizvodnje su, bez sumnje, poprilično velika – naročito za nekog poput nas koji nismo imali ni zemljište, ni mašine, ni dostavna vozila, čak ni osnovni materijal i alate za rad. Praktično sve što smo do sada prihodovali smo investirali u rast i nabavku novih mašina, materijala, alata. Aktivni smo i po pitanju pisanja i realizacije inovativnih projekata, te smo nekoliko puta osvajali i novčane nagrade od domaćih i stranih institucija i fondova. Sve u svemu, verujemo i dokazujemo da su sve prepreke premostive uz dovoljno posvećenosti i rada.
Šta bi vam predstavljalo najveću pomoć u razvoju i unapređenju vašeg biznisa?
Svet u kome živimo se iz dana u dan menja, a upravo smo mi, mladi, ti koji imaju mogućnost i energiju da idu u korak sa vremenom. Pokušavamo da ponovo uspostavimo direktnu vezu između sela i grada, poljoprivrednih proizvođača i kupaca. Srbija ima izvanredne potencijale za bavljenje poljoprivredom i te potencijale želimo da iskoristimo, međutim za to nam je neophodna i organizovanija podrška države jer smo u suprotnom prepušteni sami sebi.