[ad_1]
The whole family works
The farm is now in its year of work. As Zita Maurukienė told Kaunas Day, the strawberry season is coming to an end, but raspberries and blueberries are ripening. This year there are a lot of berries, and this is a lot of work.
Strawberry season is coming to an end, but raspberries and blueberries are ripening.
“People help pick berries, because we couldn’t do it ourselves,” says Zita. “This year we are introducing an innovation: People can come pick berries themselves.” Because we had no choice, all strawberries ripened at the same time, both early and late. There were areas that we could no longer pick up on our own. We decided it would be better for others to gather than for the harvest to die. “
Maurukai works on the farm in four places: Zita with her husband Vitautas and two older children: 25 and 21 years old. The two little ones also contribute as much as they can depending on their age.
In fact, children were once the main culprits in the rise of the berry farm. Z.Maurukienė came up with an idea to create conditions for older children to earn money, and only about 10–11 years ago, this all became a more serious business.
Some might say it is wrong, children have to help their families without pay. However, Zita, who is an educator by profession, thinks otherwise. No one pays money to children for work at home. However, work related to family businesses is remunerated. And it can be said that the experiment was worth it: the children realized the difference very quickly and, at the same time, they began to work voluntarily on the farm, they felt the value of money, they grew up working, being creative and learning to achieve the established objectives.
The most important thing is knowledge.
Z.Maurukienė, who graduated from Vilnius Pedagogical University, has been working as an elementary school teacher not long ago. But three years ago, I had to say goodbye to school because I couldn’t go anywhere and I wanted to do all the work well.
What is more difficult: cultivate or teach? “Incomparable things. Sincere pedagogical work, but the berry farm generates more income. Therefore, you must choose what gives your children more opportunities and freedom. The next question is, health long enough to try to keep up with everywhere? ” – says the woman.
This year we present an innovation: people can come to pick the berries by themselves.
Her husband Vytautas Maurukas, by specialty – technical-mechanical. According to Zita, a hard worker, energetic, she loves innovations: she is very interested in them and tries to apply them on the farm. Able to do any job, so much work and lying on your shoulders.
Starting farming was not easy for both of them: they had to try a lot the first time, learn from their mistakes, because there was so much information publicly available. The couple went to Babtus to consult with scientists, attended several seminars, read books. So far, he also goes to other farmers, he communicates, explains how things can be done better. According to Zita, it is only through learning that you advance. The most important thing is knowledge.
Now the farm has an irrigation system, even the dry onset of summer did not scare me. It is more difficult when it rains: the problems begin, the rot rots. This prompted raspberries to try to grow in a greenhouse this year. Also, it is expected to pick it up when the first frosts pass in Lithuania and there are no berries left in the fields. Therefore, raspberry lovers will also be able to delight in late fall. In winter, the strawberry areas are covered with a film to prevent freezing. So, according to Zita, a little peace comes. Although when the farm started growing blueberries, the activity is sufficient throughout the year.
Z.Maurukienė says he has no plans to produce and sell berry products. This requires a large investment: buying equipment, expanding the berry areas, because now there is not much of what is cultivated, everything is sold. And it is unlikely that time will be found for additional work. The woman laughs: Although the family loves berries, last year, for example, for the winter of strawberry stocks, she couldn’t even get ready during all the work. So this year I have already tried to fix that beforehand.
For winter strawberries, raspberries are generally crushed with a little sugar and frozen, blueberries poured into bags and frozen. They say that in some special way, even if they really wanted to, they really wouldn’t have time to prepare the berries.
[ad_2]
