Meet our Beneficiaries :

Meet Savvina and Nikolleta Stroumpa beneficiaries of the “Agroanelixis-Cottage Industry” accelerator

Savvina and Nikoletta were selected to be among the 15 beneficiaries of the agri-food acceleration program of the “New Agriculture New Generation” organization, presenting their outside the box business idea. Their goal is to introduce alternative chickpea products to the Greek market, which they will produce and process themselves in their own model cottage industry.

The two sisters come from the town of Komotini, Greece, where they live and work. Savvina, the youngest of the two sisters, having graduated from the school of “Agricultural Technology” at the Technological University of Crete, is working in the field of agricultural production and has taken over the cultivation of about 100 acres of the family, with the help of her father. Nicoletta on the other hand, a graduate of the School of Marketing and Advertising in Thessaloniki, now lives and works abroad as a Visual merchandiser.

Komotini is an area where the main crops one can found are cotton, barley or wheat. But Savvina and Nicoletta had a different idea of the culture they wanted to develop. As a child, Savvina wanted to become an agronomist, and in fact, it was and remains her “dream” to be able to create her own cottage industry.

So, Nicoletta, now living and working in Germany, saw that chickpeas are a legume that is widely used, especially by people who choose a more vegetarian or healthy diet. “I saw a huge momentum in the market but also a lot of possibilities for processing the product,” says Nicoletta. So, knowing that her sister always had a desire to create her own home-made business, she suggested that they start with chickpeas.

Making ideas happen:

The prospects of chickpea cultivation and processing

Savvina does not want to use chickpeas in the traditional way. Instead, she wants to create and launch in the Greek market various alternative chickpea products, such as hummus or ready-made mixtures for chickpea meatballs, chickpea flour and much more.

“My business idea is to highlight and put on the market different products made from chickpeas, which are a rich natural source of nutrients,” says Savvina. Also, in each package of their products, there will be interesting recipes, tips, and ideas for side dishes, as well as the nutrients of chickpea and the benefits that its consumption offers to our health, so that people can begin to see the reasons why they should include this simple but miraculous product in their everyday diet.

«Agroanelixis-Cottage industry»:

What’s the agri-food accelerator’s contribution?

Savvina, planning to start her own chickpea production and processing industry, decided to apply for participation in the program “Agroanelixis-Cottage industry” and after qualifying for the top 30 successful contestants, she then managed to be among the 15 beneficiaries of the program.

Both sisters take courses with great interest in the agrifood acceleration program implemented by the “New Agriculture New Generation” organization, each in her own field, Savvina in the field of agricultural production and Nicoletta in marketing and sales.

“The program was beyond our expectations,” says Nicoletta, while also saying that “in addition to theoretical knowledge, we spoke with renowned professionals from the agri-food sector, who shared with us experiences and business tips. We probably could never have acquired this kind of knowledge, even in 10 years of work “.

Designing together with the “New Agriculture New Generation”’s team their own cottage industry

Savvina and Nicoletta have already started, with the help of the “New Agriculture New Generation”’s team, to set up their laboratory, while with the funding they will receive through the agri-food acceleration program, they will be able to buy some of the necessary equipment for organizing their own chickpea cottage industry.

In a first stage, their products will be addressed to the Greek market and their goal is to be sold either in small delicatessen stores, or online. Also, all the packaging of their products has been designed with the aim of being either recyclable or reusable. For them the use of environmentally friendly products is imperative and thus, they want to create a cottage industry with “environmental awareness”.

It is obvious by discussing with them that both Savvina and Nicoletta are determined to work hard and purposefully, to create their own cottage industry. From August they will have the first harvest of chickpeas and thus, the processing and marketing of the products is expected to take effect in the last months of 2021. “We work methodically, this was the most important lesson I believe we took from our participation in the program “Agroanelixis – Cottage Industry””, says Savvina, adding that, “as our mentors keep saying, one step at a time, always with attention and respect for the product and for the consumer “.

Meet our Beneficiaries:

 

Who is Triantafyllos Pitsiorlas, beneficiary of the “Agroanelixis-Cottage Industry” accelerator?

Triantafyllos is among the 15 beneficiaries of the agri-food acceleration program implemented by the “New Agriculture New Generation” organization and is active in the livestock sector, producing his own organic animal feed. His goal is to create a cottage industry that will manage, among other things, to introduce to the Greek market an authentic organic Greek product with a designation of origin, called “goat non-pasteurized cheese”.

Originating from Paleochora, Halkidiki, right at the foot of Mount Holomontas, Triantafyllos family has a deep tradition in stock farming for 4 generations. Having studied at the American School of Agriculture in the Department of Dairy and Cheese and having attended numerous seminars on agriculture and farming, his goal is now the development of traditional animal farming techniques.

“Our childhood years were not easy, with very little free personal time and many working hours in winter and summer. When I was 13, I started plowing the fields and then I started taking care of the animals”, says Triantafyllos while adding that, “although as a child dealing with animals was not my favorite thing, at the age of 20 I had a sudden communication with them. I feel their needs, I appreciate them but I also respect them, as they, like nature, offer us everything “.

Making ideas happen:

 

The new alternative livestock that uses self-produced organic animal feed

Until 2 years ago, the family had goats of extensive breeding, something that made them mobile breeders, depending on the season and the existence of vegetation. As this widespread livestock tactic is both more tedious and less efficient, Triantafyllos and his brothers decided to change it, adopting the alternative way of producing their own organic animal feed.

Together with his brother Dimitris, who has also studied Crop Production at the American School of Agriculture, and his sister Olga, who deals with accounting and financial management, from 2019 onwards they started to implement the goal of the development of their livestock unit. So, out of the 1,400 animals that the family had, they decided to keep the 900 in which to invest in both hygiene and animal feed, to become more productive. Now, 60% of the feed they use in their goats are self-produced, with the goal of reaching 90% in the coming years.

 

Introducing the non-pasteurized goat cheese to the Greek market

The non-pasteurized goat cheese of deep maturity, although an old tactic of breeders in many parts of the country, is not widely known, is not consumed by the majority of the country’s population and thus, is not yet officially released in the Greek market. Triantafyllos wants to highlight this special product, which, as he says, “has a peculiarity, it does not alter the aromas and flavors, something that makes it particularly delicious”.

“Our goal is to set up an agricultural unit, a cottage industry, which will process our main product, goat’s milk, into goat non-pasteurized cheese of deep maturation, with techniques we have learned from our grandparents,” says Triantafyllos. It is also worth mentioning that this is a purely organic product without additional preservatives which, in addition to being particularly tasty, also has a proven bioprotective action.

«Agroanelixis–Cottage industry»:

 

What’s the agri-food accelerator’s contribution?

Triantafyllos for the last 2 years was looking on the activities implemented by the “Nea Agriculture Nea Generation” organization and this year, he was selected among the 15 participants of the Agri-food Acceleration program “Agroanelixis-Cottage Industry”.

He summarizes the basic elements that he feels he has gained through his course in the program so far, in 3 important words “cooperation-communication and responsibility“. “We learned how to act like professionals, how to be responsible. Responsible not only to customers or partners, but also to animals. This is very important, and no professional should forget it “, he says characteristically.

 

Designing together with the “New Agriculture New Generation”’s team his own cottage industry

In collaboration with the team of New Agriculture New Generation, the goal is to create a biological farming unit or cottage industry, which will process its own products while also implementing experiential seminars in collaboration with agricultural schools, bringing those interested in contact with the nature, the animals but also the way of operating a livestock craft.

At the same time, the creation of a large area of plantation that will house the animals has already begun, while concurrently, they are expanding the area of their fields, with the aim of producing the best possible quality organic animal feed. Also, their goal is after the introduction of non-pastreurized goat cheese in Greece to be able to export this product to countries such as Switzerland or France.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that Triantafyllos is clearly aware of the issue of environmental protection and through all these processes of modernization of his livestock unit, he fights for the smallest possible footprint on the planet. As he says “It is better to produce a smaller quantity but with quality, than to continue to burden the earth and its people with bad tactics”.

 

Agroanelixis: supporting young farmers to create their own cottage industries.

Agrifood accelerator “Agroanelixis-cottage industries” aims at supporting farmers and stockbreeders with innovative business ideas in the agri-food sector, so that they can create or develop their own cottage industry. Among the beneficiaries of the agri-food acceleration program implemented by the organization “New Agriculture New Generation”, is George Alexandris, a young producer that wishes to create his own home-based business, based on the cultivation and processing of almonds.

George comes from Nessonas, a village which is very close to Larissa. He has studied in Volos, in the Department of “Agriculture of Crop Production and Rural Environment” of the University of Thessaly. Although he currently works for a company based in Larissa, he is also involved in the cultivation of almonds.

“We have had almond trees from my grandfather, since 1970. I remember as a child, I enjoyed picking almonds that fell from the trees and spending a lot of time on the estates. The almond trees then passed to my father and slowly, it was my turn to see how I can use them in the best possible way “, says George Alexandris.

 

Return to cottage industries, giving value to the product and supporting tradition

Along with his studies, George was thinking of ways to use the almonds they produce in collaboration with his father, as they are fruits of excellent quality, as he says characteristically. For many years, all the annual production of almonds was given for sale to a partner who traded the products. In the last year, however, George began to deal with the idea of creating a home-made business, which will produce, standardize, and sell both almonds and their interesting by-products.

So last August, during the almond harvest season, he tentatively kept a small quantity of almonds to see how he could handle it, taking the first step towards creating his own cottage industry. In the first phase, he started breaking the almonds and taking out the crumb, which he started selling to his close circle, to form a first picture of the demand and interest that may arise for his product. At the same time, with the help of friends but also by putting his own touch, he started designing the brand, creating a logo, but also packages designed with care and love. As he says, “I am interested in offering as much value as possible to the product. I started with the sale of almond kernel, now I have created almond butter while in the immediate plans is the production of almond drink or even almond cheese “.

Innovative, premium products from young farmers

From January 2021, George started selling the almond kernel that he produces and presents in a package, which is specially designed to close with a zip, so that the product always remains fresh. He started visiting various mini markets or delicatessens with the aim of working together to sell his product and thus, he has already managed to build in these 5 months a small network of shops, which are located not only in Larissa, but also areas such as Dimitsana or even Athens.

Special traits of George seem to be the importance in detail but also the experimentation aimed at creating the best possible products and services. As he says, he is constantly trying new things he can do with the precious fruit of the almond and experimenting with quantities and ingredients, to produce innovative products for the Greek market, such as milk, butter or almond cheese.

 

The Agrifood Accelerator “Agroanelixis” supports young people with ideas and dreams for the agri-food industry.

However, in this effort for development and innovation, George Alexandris is not alone. Through his participation in the Agifood Acceleration program “Agroanelixis-Cottage Industries” he now has experts in the agrifood sector, professionals, mentors, and the whole team of the “New Agriculture New Generation” organization, to help him in his next steps.

George came in touch with the organization “Nea Agriculture New Generation” about 1 year ago and after attending one of its seminars, he realized that it is worth following its actions. Thus, he managed to participate in the digital training program dedicated to the export of agri-food products, which was implemented in June 2020 by New Agriculture New Generation and as he states, he believes that he learned many things that helped him a lot during the critical phase of the start-up of his cottage industry. “It gave me a much needed boost to dare to start my project!”, he states.

After this participation, then came his selection in the agrifood acceleration program “Agroanelixis-Cottage Industries”, which began in April 2021. George says he is not just satisfied, but excited, by the knowledge he has received so far from the program. “Mentors are great, everyone, one by one. They make us feel very familiar and help us with anything we may need. What they convey to us is not just a theory, it is a 100% practice. They are people with great experience and everything they say, they have experienced it “.

He also states that, “I am impressed by the speeches of young people, who a few years ago were like us and now have managed to do their own business. Through their words I took courage, I saw that I too could follow in their footsteps and develop in the industry. You see that if you keep trying, you will succeed!”. The program may be completed in June 2021, but the beneficiaries will be accompanied by specialized mentors and industry professionals for at least the next 3 months, who will continue to support them in the implementation of their business planning.

 

Business plan for the expansion and support of cottage industries, implemented by the organization “New Agriculture New Generation”

The team of “New Agriculture New Generation”, visited George in Larissa and together, they designed a business plan to expand and support his craft. Through the program, he will be able to build a production and packaging area in the village, where the almond trees are located, in Nessona, Larissa. Thus, the goal is to be able to create his own cottage industry, which in fact will include all the necessary workplaces and all the necessary machinery for the production and packaging of its products.

The team will visit again at the end of the agri-food acceleration program, the production and packaging areas of George, to evaluate the progress of work and to offer him additional support in whatever else he may need.

 

Turning cottage industries into an “open farm”, strengthening agritourism

In his next plans, of course, is to be able to make his cottage industry visitable to the public, following the standards of “open farm” which he was taught through the agrifood accelerator “Agroanelixis”. “If the consumer comes in contact with the product and knows the process of its production, he understands better what exactly is it that he is consuming, he appreciates it more”, says George.

Also, his goal through the idea of “open farm”, is to pass on the knowledge and techniques on the creation of its products to other people, who may be interested in dealing with the production and processing of almond products. The consumer or the visitor will be able to see, for example, how the almonds are baked or how they are packaged to maintain their freshness, but also how they are processed into butter. They will also be able to participate during summer months in the fruit harvest, thus offering them a complete experience of operating a cottage industry.

 

Steady steps towards creating a cottage industry and goals for the future

In addition to almonds, George also grows apricots, which he aims to integrate into his home-based industry, after completing the plan he has formed for the use of almonds. In fact, he already has in mind very interesting ideas that can combine these two crops, such as almond butter with pieces of dried apricot and much more.

The love that George has for his cottage industry and his dreams for it, are obvious. “My main goal for the future is one: to be able to make this business my main job, to be able to invest all the time and energy I have to develop this venture. And I believe that with the valuable contribution of New Agriculture New Generation, we will achieve that!”, he states. After the successful completion of the goals set under the agrifood acceleration program “Agroanelixis”, the next step for George is the development of his sales network, starting of course from Greece but slowly looking at specific foreign markets, where the products made from almonds are already considered emerging premium products.

 

A digital assistant for the beekeeper that contributes to the improvement of the production.

Beenotes’ team, managed to emerge as one of the four winners of the first phase of the Agri-food Accelerator “Agroanelixis” implemented by the organization “New Agriculture New Generation”, presenting an innovative project that aims to help the beekeeper to improve production by simplifying all the necessary procedures. Simply put, Beenote presents a digital assistant, who literally listens to what the beekeeper says using voice recognition technology, automatically collects and analyzes the data of beekeeping practice and suggests solutions.

Beenotes is based on the idea that beekeeping is an agricultural activity that has many parameters. As Notis Papasouliotis, an agronomist who has been involved in the beekeeping industry for several years and one of the two collaborators in the team, states, “In beekeeping, everything has to do with how the producer can synchronize the development of a hive with nature and flowering. This is a multifactorial situation which is difficult to achieve without the right tools.”

 

An application that simplifies the life of the beekeeper

An important parameter that highlights the difficulty in the beekeeping industry is the very nature of the bees which are known to be insect that can bite those around them, forcing beekeepers to wear masks and special equipment to protect themselves. This therefore does not allow beekeepers to keep paper and pencil, for example, to write down the necessary information regarding their production.

So Beenotes comes to meet this need, offering a tool that with voice recognition technology makes it easier for the producer to take notes which he can then study and edit. It is essentially a mobile application that uses voice recording for the benefit of the producer. As Michael Sabethai, a mathematician with many years of experience in the field of marine fuels and a collaborator at Beenotes, explains, “All the producer must do is open his phone and then, the app begins to record. He can also chat with the application, using keywords such as “population”, “offspring” or “queen”. The application recognizing these keywords, responds to the producer by asking him in turn questions that respond to his original request. Thus, a system for recording and monitoring of each cell is created separately “.

 

Covering the producers need for review and optimization.

The log data is then available, either directly from the beekeeper’s mobile phone, or through a platform located on the Beenotes website. There, the producer can easily look back and see and edit the recordings he has made, in even greater detail. For example, if there are recordings from many cells, the person entering the platform can filter various features such as which are his best or worst cells and to identify those cells that may have a problem.

The idea to create a platform that will “untie the hands” of beekeepers, had started by Notis Papasouliotis as early as 2015, but at that time the technology was not as advanced, so the team did not proceed with the project at that time. to move. In 2019, however, he met Michael Sabethai, whose acquaintance goes back many years as they were fellow students at the University but also good friends and together, they decided to use the latest technology to revive the original idea and create “Beenotes”, in April 2019.

 

Beenotes in the “Agroanelixis” business acceleration and microfinance program

 

The team participated in 2020 in the MIT Enterprise Forum Greece accelerator, where they were given the opportunity to further develop the idea but also to find a common language of communication, as they state.  Then, they decided to take part in the Agri-food Accelerator of the “New Agriculture New Generation” organization.

Michael Sabethai states that they considered their participation in the Accelerator would be a very good opportunity to get in touch with people in the agri-food industry and to develop their product. And so it happened, as he characteristically adds, “Our participation in the accelerator “Agroanelixis” met our expectations. The Accelerator, although demanding, was a very interesting process for us, as it was thorough in many issues that we found useful “.

 

The “Agroanelixis” Accelerator helped the team become familiar with agricultural technology and networking in the agri-food industry.

The team believes that the business acceleration and microfinance program was able to cover a very wide range of subjects, from marketing to technology and innovation, enabling each professional to choose the ones that serve him / her and concern his / her business. “Our team was particularly helped through the accelerator. We got to know new aspects of agricultural technology, which is of direct interest to us, but also we were able to develop in areas such as marketing and search engine optimization,” says Michael Sabethai.

“Very interesting, of course, was the fact that we were able to meet other groups of people who are also trying to start their own business in the agri-food sector. We were able to see the different ways in which everyone starts, utilizing either technology or other innovations that can be applied in the industry, but also to recognize any difficulties and challenges they may face”, says Notis Papasouliotis, while adding that “It was a very creative process, we discovered things we did not know about ourselves and new perspectives on what we did.”

 

Beenotes’ next steps and their goals for the future

The Beenotes team is in the final testing phase of their product, where their goal is to “listen” to their audience in terms of the current version of the application, to see what they can improve and how they can adapt their product to the real needs of beekeepers. The application, which is available through the Google Playstore, has a total of +1000 downloads in the last year, with 500 people having used it at least once in the last month.

At the same time, the team has launched a campaign through social media, urging people to download Beenotes and try it out, offering those interested a discount on subscribing to the final commercial product as soon as it is released. Their goal, as they say, is to let people know who they are and what they can offer to beekeepers.

Beenotes does not stop evolving continuously so that it can serve the needs of beekeeping, whether it is the production of honey and other beekeeping products or even applied scientific research. “We also want to see how we can help larger units or cooperatives that need the systematization of processes in order to be able to increase their productivity,” says Notis Papasouliotis.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the application is currently available in 5 languages, Greek, Italian, Spanish, French and English, so that it can serve these countries, where beekeepers amount to about 110,000 while in the next steps, the group is considering importing the product to other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the Nordic countries, the US and even Latin America.