(within the frame of the Grant Programme in the Organic Sector supported by Switzerland)
About the farm
Wowberry Farm was established in 2021 in Kyiv region. Almost 40 thousand blueberry bushes of seven varieties, from early to late, are planted on 15 hectares. This selection allows harvesting from the first weeks of summer until late autumn when there are no conventional berries on the market.
The idea of the farm was born out of family values: the desire to provide children with quality and safe food and develop a business that cares about the land and people. The entire family of Oleksandr Vovchenko, the founder, was involved in selecting the farm’s name, and it reflects the emotions that the berries evoke — wow!
Despite the unfavourable weather conditions this year, the team managed to keep almost the entire harvest. In spring, during night frosts, the team created a smoke screen in the garden to protect the bushes.
The farm also pays special attention to its team: they built a dormitory for seasonal workers, many of whom are internally displaced, and provided them with food and decent working conditions.
Support within the Grant Programme and achievements
Wowberry’s farm is still quite young, and plants have not yet entered the full fruiting phase, but this year the yield has increased. Thanks to the grant support, the company was able to expand sales: it purchased 250 g and 500 g plastic containers for packing blueberries, as well as cardboard boxes for their safe transportation. This made it possible to deliver products to retail chains without losing quality.
Deputy Director Oksana Didukh also took part in the mentoring course on promoting organic products on the domestic market, organised within the project “Women Entrepreneurship in the Organic Sector” with the support of Switzerland. The training was led by mentor Oleksandr Ratushniuk, the owner of Jiva brand and expert with over 20 years of experience in marketing and distribution.
Oleksandr’s advice and recommendations helped to expand sales channels: this season, freshly picked blueberries were supplied to the retail chains of Wine Bureau LLC (Good Wine) and Foodcom LLC (Velyka Kyshenya, Velmart), as well as Meat Processing Plant Yatran Trade House. In addition, agreements were signed with Fora LLC and Novus Ukraine LLC.
Another important step was price promotions in Velyka Kyshenya and Velmart retail chains, which allowed consumers to get to know organic berries better and buy them at special prices. The grant helped to keep 8 permanent jobs, create additional seasonal jobs, and increased farm’s sales and income.
Plans for the future
The main expectation of Wowberry is that the plantation will enter the full fruiting cycle, which will significantly increase yields and strengthen the farm’s presence on the domestic market. Further, the farm plans to gradually expand the plantation area and is considering export in the future.
But for Oleksandr and the team, it is important that every Ukrainian has access to products that are not only tasty, but also healthy and environmentally friendly.
Advice from the founder
“Thanks to the Ukrainian military, we have the opportunity to work on the Ukrainian land today. Organic farming is, first and foremost, about love and respect for our native land. Therefore, I advise everyone who wants to grow Ukrainian organic products to continue to implement their projects despite all the difficulties. Experiment, learn and gain experience.”
* Grant Program in the Organic Sector is funded by Switzerland and implemented within the framework of
- the project “Women Entrepreneurship in the Organic Sector” (WEOS) implemented by ICO “Information Center “Green Dossier” in partnership with Organic Initiative Public Association, and
- the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP) implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).