Hristiana Gogeva

“I have always loved this work and felt deeply passionate about it.”

The start-up support provided by the “Young Farmer” programme, funded under the CAP, turned out to be the factor that encouraged Hristiana to take on the challenge of developing her small farm. Her connection to the land and farming dates back to early childhood, when her grandmother would take her to the fields with her. She was taught diligence and a deep love for the land.
Hristiana found out about the programme at the last moment, so the application process was not without difficulties and anxiety. However, she was approved and managed to contribute to the family business whose foundations were laid by her grandparents who planted the first orchards and built small greenhouses. Her aunt also received support under the Young Farmer programme, helping the farm expand further.

In addition to expanding the production with new greenhouses, Hristiana wants to modernise the farm by acquiring new and innovative machinery and building a storage facility. The Kyustendil region is famous for its cherry varieties, and she intends to implement measures to protect the blossoms from frost and create opportunities for export of her produce. 
The young woman has no illusions about agriculture as a profession. She is well aware of the numerous challenges it involves: the hard physical labour, the growing number of pests, and the shortage of workers. Yet, she is determined to continue developing the legacy transferred to her so that her grandparents would be proud of her. She also sees other advantages in farming—the connection to the land, where our roots lie, and the incredible satisfaction of holding in your hands the fruit you have grown from a tiny seed.

Her message:

“To be able to succeed, we must dare take the risk and dive into this adventure, which comes with countless difficulties. But the satisfaction that the work brings and, above all, seeing the produce reach consumers makes it all worthwhile.”