We.
Think. After.
Corona.
The idea is obvious. We still had a small supply of sour pickled zucchini in our warehouse. Courgettes that we had planted ourselves in 2019 in a small vegetable experimental plant in Asureti and later preserved in jars. The feedback from our recipients was predominantly positive, which is why we have been thinking about how we can produce our own vegetables again this year. The result was a project that is suitable for surviving the Corona crisis as a social self-help project.
We imagine it like this:
We are looking for homeowners in Tbilisi and the surrounding area with a small or even larger garden plot that they do not use or only partially use. Our foundation takes care of the appropriate planting and seed and advises the prospective allotment gardeners. And: We take over the complete harvest at a fixed price per kilogram and guarantee the marketing. Either as fresh vegetables or then preserved and canned. Just as we learned from grandparents and parents in Germany after World War II. Besides courgettes, we are thinking mainly of kohlrabi, radishes, rocket and endive salad for the first two years. But then we also think of rhubarb and shrub fruit such as currants and other varieties. We are open for further suggestions.
In this way we ensure the supply of high-quality fruit and vegetables, which are hardly known in Georgia, mainly to the catering trade, but also to private customers. And we secure an additional income for the homeowners, which will certainly increase in the course of the coming years and may even become a fixed part of the family income. In this way we also want to give an impulse to the development of a small, family-sized agriculture and a small canning factory including distribution. And with this we also want to create at least a few new jobs in the country.
If we get one or two plots of land to create model gardens where we can train and educate allotment gardeners, then we will also try to establish a corresponding cooperation with a German allotment garden consultancy. First contacts have already been made.
If you are interested in this long-term project, want to contribute ideas, support it or even offer an allotment garden area, we will be happy to stay in touch with you. Please send us a mail to: kleingaertner@georgian-aid.com
We look forward to being able to continue to say after Corona as well:
We.
help.
Georgia.
By the way: We are starting to grow zucchini seedlings today, so that we will be able to go outdoors by the end of May.