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ADEPT and local products

Conservation of the biodiversity of this semi-natural, anthropogenic area is only possible by maintaining the area’s economic viability. The agricultural economy can have profound effects on HNV landscape conservation.
 
For example, many small and medium size dairy farmers are selling their livestock because milk processing companies no longer collect milk from their villages. This is critically damaging small-scale HNV farmer livelihoods, and also the landscape since livestock are essential for maintenance of pastures and hay-meadows.

ADEPT is implementing a range of measures to create demand for products, and to boost local income from agriculture. This will improve the economic viability of small-scale producers and of small-scale farming communities.

• workshops on milking hygiene. It is UNTRUE that hand milking is discouraged by the EU. Improved discipline at milking time can solve milk hygiene problems
• assisted by the Barbara Knowles Fund, farmer groups in the Tarnava Mare area and in Harghita County are pioneering community-owned village milk collection points. If combined with quality control, these points will allow farmers to seek best offers for milk and not be tied to a particular buyer
• cheese production, especially mature cheese (over 60 days) which has fewer health risks and is subject to less rigorous hygiene regulations
• community-owned micro-processing units: ADEPT is developing a basic model, easily replicated, for village-level food processing that meets hygiene regulations for small producers
• establishing an umbrella brand for the area and all the products and services it offers
• marketing: establishing farmers markets in Bucharest and other cities, and also connecting tourism and food sales by linking producers with visitors, and with local guesthouses and hotels. This is being spearheaded by a community venture promoted by Fundatia ADEPT, see www.discovertarnavamare.org.

Some examples of local products

Sheep cheese – a product intimately linked to the landscape and the culture of the area.
 
  

Mature cheese is easier to keep and transport to markets than fresh cheese.
ADEPT is helping local producers to develop interesting varieties of mature cheese, from both cow milk and sheep milk.

Jam and honey

ADEPT is bottling local honey for sale to tourists as gifts to take home that will remind them of the rich biodiversity of the area. We are buying honey from local producers, adding value to their honey. Bee keepers have received twice the price they obtained when selling their honey in bulk for blending.

Marketing of honey, jam: strict quality control and improved packaging are increasing the volume of sales, and prices, for local producers.

Over 6,500 jars of locally-produced jam were sold in 2007 (compared to 2,000 in 2006), both to visitors and at national or international markets.

We aim to supply these products to regional hotels and restaurants, which currently buy imported jams and honey!

Dried fruits and herbs

ADEPT has designed and built eight low-technology solar driers, which we have provided free to local families on a trial basis. They were used successfully in the summer months of 2007 and 2008. They are improving household storage of herbs and vegetables, as well as providing marketable products.

The driers were made locally by village carpenters from a template provided by ADEPT.

Producers are now selling dried fruit, herbs and medicinal plants: in markets, to visitors in their own courtyard, from the Tourist Information Centre in Saschiz and in Christmas baskets given by Orange Romania to their staff.

Local products

ADEPT and local products

Markets

Crafts

Tourism

Creating a brand

ADEPT has developed a brand for the area which acts as a quality mark for local products.

To see a description of the range of local products and local / traditional producers in the area,see the Products section in the Discover Tarnava Mare website, www.discovertarnavamare.org.



Tarnava Mare branded products have established a good market in Romania, and are showing the way for other regional branding to add value to local/traditional products.

Food and Culture tours

Food and Culture tours: 12-page brochure describing local food and its traditional production in the Tarnava Mare area. See publications for download.









The visit of Slow Food (Italy) in 2005, instigated by HRH The Prince of Wales, to the Tarnava Mare area prompted the formation of Saxon Village Preserves, a Slow Food project which receives marketing assistance to attend the biennial international Slow Food festival in Turin, funded by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. This is helping to develop the link between good quality, clean and free of chemical residues and a fair price, in the minds of both producers and consumers.

ADEPT helped form Slow Food Tarnava Mare (formerly SF Sighisoara), the first Slow Food Convivium in Romania, bringing together consumers (hotels and restaurants) with local farmers and producers.