About Farm
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.
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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. |
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This farm is an example of untraditional businesses in Lithuania1
. 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.
Į viršų
11Šilutė Tourism and Information Cetre:
Untraditional businesses in Lithuania. Libra
Memelensis, Klaipėda, 2005; p.77.
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