How can a former cornfield become a diverse, partly self-sustaining ecological system? Balázs Kulcsár presents the orchard, community garden, animals and circular farming solutions of Valaha Tanya in Vértesacsa.
The story of Valaha Tanya began in 2006, when traditional arable farming still took place on the site of the current farm. In the years since, a diverse agroforestry and permaculture family organic farm has gradually been created across the 12-hectare area.
Fruit growing is the central element of the farm. The fruit produced is used primarily to make artisan syrups, and in smaller quantities, jams. The products are sold to restaurants, food buying groups and consumer cooperatives, delivering them directly to consumers. By bypassing traditional retail chains, a closer relationship can be established between the farm and the customers.
Valaha Tanya operates as a genuine family farm. Balázs Kulcsár primarily handles the outdoor work, sales and delivery, while his partner focuses on processing, bottling and preserving the produce.
Alongside fruit growing, small-scale vegetable production also takes place. A 40-bed self-sufficient community garden has also been established on the farm, in which members of the community take part in the work themselves. The harvested produce is not sold in the traditional way, but is distributed among the participants based on a prior agreement.
The video also presents the design of the garden and the orchard in detail. Balázs Kulcsár talks about the significant decrease in the amount of precipitation, adaptation to drier weather, and the shelterbelts of trees that will later protect the cultivation area from the wind and strong sunlight.
In the extensive orchard consisting of old Hungarian varieties, there are apple, plum, quince and numerous other fruit varieties. Across the entire farm they work with approximately 200 fruit varieties, and wild fruits are grown in the upper part of the area. The wild rose varieties, for example, were planted for the purpose of harvesting rosehips and rose petals.
Animals are also an important part of the system. Goats, Carpathian Brown cattle and poultry are kept on the farm. The animals utilise fruit and vegetable waste as well as the orchard's hay. By scratching around in the orchard, the poultry help to control pests, and the manure produced by the larger animals can be returned to the growing area as compost.
The example of the Valaha Tanya demonstrates how the conservation of biodiversity, adaptation to climate change, community participation, direct sales and keeping resources in a circular loop can be linked together.
These solutions are directly linked to the objectives of the BIOPRO Regions – Bio & Proximity Products Regions project. Within the framework of the Interreg Europe cooperation, the partner countries share good practices and policy solutions with each other that can promote the development of more sustainable local and regional food systems.
The Hungarian partner of the project is the Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency Nonprofit Ltd.
Further information:
- Tanya's Farmhouse: https://www.valahatanya.hu/
- BIOPRO Regions: https://www.interregeurope.eu/biopro-regions/
The project is implemented within the Interreg Europe programme, co-financed by the European Union.