Nowadays, more and more attention is paid to the high quality of products coming directly from certified producers. This idea is the basis for an ecological project started by the farmers themselves, who decided that it was time to come out of the shadows of large stores and get closer to the customer.

The idea of the “Parcel from Farmer” was born as part of the Local Action Group Dunajec-Biała (Lokalna Grupa Działania Dunajec-Biała) in 2010 – says Jan Czaja, one of the initiators of the idea, who himself is a farmer. – Together with Barbara Zych and Stanisław Ziółkowski (farmers from the LAG area, i.e. Pleśna and Zakliczyn gminas), as the owners of small family farms, we found out that the only profitable option for our activities is to meet customers halfway and present them with our food. The idea of direct deliveries from a farmer to a consumer has already worked in Italy, Germany, Austria or the United Kingdom. We asked ourselves: why not do it here? We have the Internet that will help us display our offer and reach potential customers. And so we have put our idea into practice. As a result, “From a Farmer” was created.

QUALITY, CERTAINTY AND HEALTH

The uniqueness of this project lies in the fact that it is created by farmers themselves, directly connected with the land and everything that they produce and sell. They founded the “GRUPA OD ROLNIKA” Association (“From a Farmer”), which helps develop the idea of direct sales and coordinates the whole endeavour. The main goal was simple: farmers can sell their products at a good price without losing a margin, and buyers have direct access to fresh products of the highest quality, which grow at their own peace and are free from any chemical agents. Jan Czaja confirms: – We are an association whose members are farmers who produce food using organic methods and are subject to the supervision of certification bodies having powers of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in this scope. The condition for joining new farmers to the group is the obligation to hav e a valid organic farming certificate. We want to sell products whose quality customers can be sure of.

YOU KNOW WHAT YOU EAT!

In addition to quality, this initiative is marvellous due to the fact that each fruit and v egetable is somehow represented by the farmer who devoted their time and experience to grow them. All products have their “biography”, thanks to which you can establish a relationship with a farmer and find your favourite local producer among all those associated in the initiative. Locality is a word that J an Czaja emphasizes very often: – Supporting local producers is one of our main goals. We want farmers to have a sense of economic freedom and independence, as well as to be able to build customer confidence, which will give them a dignified life, a chance to develop and stable market prices. It is an ideal solution for small family farms. Customers know what they eat – after all, this is our slogan – and farmers know who they produce for, as well as they are sure that their products will be appreciated and will not get unnoticed among store shelves.

IN THE ECO STYLE

In addition to enabling direct purchases, the “Package From a Farmer” initiative also plays many other additional functions. It supports local farms and thus contributes to maintaining the biodiversity of rural areas. – Although it may sound strange – says Jan Czaja – thanks to this we help pollinators, i.e. bees, bumblebees or even mason bees and other insect pollinators. We also support the dignified treatment of animals, such as chickens that run free at our farms and do not die in cages. We also protect the environment by ensuring ecological production in our small farms. We reduce the amount of waste and garbage, especially when it comes to plastic and foil packaging, which we simply do not use.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

How does this work in practice? Very easy! You can find the entire offer at www.paczkaodrolnika.pl, choose products and producers you are interested in, and place an order. The chosen farmers will prepare your package by completing and collecting fresh products, which are often picked straight from the field. Then the packed and secured shipment comes right to your door, allowing you to enjoy fresh fruit, vegetables, cereal products and preserves, whose origin or quality you absolutely do not need to worry about.