The Farm of Jadvyga Balvočiūtė is known producer of herbal teas. People come often to buy herbal teas, to know more about herbs, their gathering and preparation and organic farming. There is an herb garden – exposition in the farm; those who wish may order an excursion.

J.Balvočiūtė started farming in Gyvoliai in 1991; she entered the Lithuanian Organic Farming Association ‘Gaja’ in 1994. The procedure of organic certification of the farm was started in 1999 and it obtained the status of organic farm after 2 years. The accredited institution ‘Ekoagros’ reviews the conformity of the farm and its production to this status and issues appropriate certificates every year; inspectors of this institution also control the farm in the course of the year. ‘Ekoagros’ controls the situation of territories for collection of wild plants, which are included to the certificate of ecologic wild flora collector. The certification guarantees that products are organic according to the provision defined by EU regulations and Lithuanian laws, including the provision that organic plants are not genetically modified.

J.Balvočiūtė had founded a rich collection of plants since the beginning of farming, but it occupied only a small area initially. The area of herbs grew since start of farming. Organic herbs occupied already 12.75 ha in 2006; other 1.5 ha were taken on lease; all mentioned areas together with protective zone occupied 14.76 ha. The area of organic herbs was 12.85 in 2007.

The Farm of Jadvyga Balvočiūtė is known producer of herbal teas. People come often to buy herbal teas, to know more about herbs, their gathering and preparation and organic farming. There is an herb garden – exposition in the farm; those who wish may order an excursion. The messuage of Jadvyga Balvočiūtė is located in the protected area - Venta Regional Park.

In 2006, more than 100 different species of plants have been cultivated in the farm and 140 sorts of raw materials prepared of them. They are mostly cultural herbs and food plants, e.g. common pot-marigold, paniculate amaranth, common buckwheat, kitchen celery, common valerian, peppermint, wild chamomile, etc. Also a number of wild plants are cultivated in the farm: burdocks, yellow sweet clover, common chickory, common wormwood and mugwort wormwood, ambrose, European madwort, elsholtzia, treacle mustard, etc.

A number of raw materials for herbal teas are collected in wild nature, e.g. herb of common Saint-Johnswort, leaves of greater stinging nettle, leaves of garden angelica, blossoms of common yarrow, herb of field pansy, etc. The area of ecologic flora collection by J.Balvočiūtė has occupied 6960 ha in 2006 and 7015.43 ha in 2007. 180 sorts of raw materials have been collected of 151 species of plants.

Herbs are gathered, cut, dried and otherwise prepared by hand strictly observing procedures in order to guarantee high quality of herbal teas. J.Balvočiūtė sells single herbs, but main quantities of plants are used to produce herbal blends in the farm. Production is sold directly from the farm, also in fairs of organic products and is supplied to different retail points all over Lithuania. The Fund of Culinary Heritage recognized herbal teas by Jadvyga Balvočiūtė as country‘s culinary heritage.

This farm is an example of untraditional businesses in Lithuania. Jadvyga Balvočiūtė has presented her herbal teas abroad: in the International Exhibition for the Food Industry, Agriculture and Horticulture “Green Week” (Berlin 2006, 2007 and 2008), at fairs in Poland, Finland, Latvia and Ireland.