Platform for promoting local producers and products in Romania
The Platform “Povești de Argeș” (Stories from Argeș) is gaining popularity among local producers in Argeș County in Romania. More members of the community are eager to join this initiative, which showcases both food and non-food products grown or manufactured locally, while also facilitating direct connections between local producers and consumers.
Members of the teams from the Institute of Agricultural Economics of the Romanian Academy (IEA-AR) and the Local Action Group “Făgărașul de Sud – Ținutul Posadelor” (GAL-TP) visited and talked to local farmers and producers. The goal of these discussions was to help them tell their stories, make their products, crafts, and tourism services more visible, and understand how mixed farming, local agri-food processing, and agritourism contribute to the sustainable development of the community.
Among the producers visited, were:
Agro-Touristic Guesthouse + Gastronomic Local Point + Orchard: the site hosts summer camps for children focused on nature education and collaborates with universities and research institutes in a project studying the rough head fish (Romanichthys valsanicola), a living fossil and the rarest fish in Europe.
Family Craft Workshop: the husband runs a workshop producing wooden furniture using local raw materials, while the wife manages a knitting workshop crafting items from natural yarns sourced from local wool. Their collaboration also includes selling wood waste to local farmers as animal bedding, supporting waste recycling within the community.
Lavender Farm: specialized in growing and processing lavender to produce essential oils, which are then used to craft scented candles, bath products, and more under the brand “Lavender with Dichis”, products sold also to the neighboring agritourism guesthouses facilities that promote local products.
Vegetable Farm Grown under plastic greenhouses: a family farm producing vegetables and strawberries, which are sold to nearby agritourism guesthouses, at the farm gate, and at local fairs.
Tourist Guesthouse with Cottages: it offers accommodation in individual bungalows located in a forest, with an on-site restaurant that uses exclusively local products.
Barrel Production Company: local wood is used to manufacture barrels that are sold directly at local fairs, and through contracts to wineries all over the country.
Butchery specialized in processing and marketing of traditional meat products: it emphasizes traditional processing methods and high-quality local ingredients, providing a direct link between local farmers and consumers who value authentic, regional flavors.
The insights gathered from these discussions will be included in the “Povești de Argeș” Platform, which is being developed as part of the MIXED project and is scheduled for launch in September 2024. The Platform will play a crucial role in promoting local producers and products, strengthening the local economy, and preserving cultural traditions.