Growing is not all, the most difficult stage is to sell

Reda and Jonas Abromai, who were born in Aukštupiai (Žygaičiai seniūnia) and deeply rooted in their homeland, are surprising with their hard work and energy – they not only manage to grow and sell all kinds of vegetables and flowers, engage in animal husbandry, actively participate in community life, act in the theater, dance, but also work in the government work. Farmers are simply radiating optimism and say that they are not going to reduce the rotation yet.

Experiments with new varieties of vegetables

Two huge heated greenhouses, which the Abromas call a nursery, are built in the village near the house, and the third one, where they will grow tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers for sale, is located a little further away. All of them cover about 12 acres. The nurseries are full of plants that have already sprouted, bloomed or are still gathering flowers, and there are impressive indoor flowers – money and happiness trees, aloes, aloes and yuccas. The sale of onion letters has taken off, most of the orphans have already been sold, and the cucumbers, which have grown considerably, just need supports – they will soon be full of flowers.

– We start selling greens after winter at the earliest. We supply them to catering establishments, but people also willingly buy them, because they say they are very tasty fresh, freshly prepared. We only feel the competition with shopping centers. If we grow more onion leaves, it would be difficult to realize. We plant approximately 400 kilograms of onions, 100 bulbs fit in a box. First, we sow onions, then gradually everything else, pick and plant, – said the spouses.

The Abrams grow cucumbers “Mirabella”, “Pasalimo”, “Merenguje” because they noticed that people prefer these types the most. However, Jonas says that this year he has expanded the range of cucumbers, he will have new fruitful and tasty varieties, one of which is “Madrilene”. They themselves need about 3,000 cucumber seedlings, and sell 3-4 thousand.

– For several years, we grow seedlings in special pots-sleeves, in a peat substrate. Peat is a sterile material. This makes the whole process faster. This year, we planted 140 kilograms of winter garlic on 13 acres. This is a test field, seed taken from Kėdainių UAB “Flora”. We cooperate. We will see how the new Dutch varieties fit in our conditions. At the moment, they are very beautiful, – said Jonas about the new farm experiments.

As soon as the weather improves, the Abrams will plant the 3,000 early cabbage seedlings they have grown in the covered fields. 10 acres were allocated for them, and 30 acres are planned for 14,000 late cabbage seedlings. Carrots will also grow in the same area, several acres have already been sown with early carrots. Already large lettuces and sorrels, tomatoes of various early years and heights, colors and tastes grow right here. Bobcat tomatoes, loved by many, are sprouting – medium height, quite early, beautiful and tasty fruits. “Rally” and “Tolstoy” are not inferior to them.

– We intend to sell several thousand cabbage seedlings. Only now people don’t really want to plant, they prefer to buy – these are the times. We also planted dill. We only grow salads suitable for freezing. We sow them in five stages throughout the season. When we harvest some, we immediately sow others. Dill should be sown densely and small ones should be plucked. We supply canteens and cafes in Taurage with dill, and we deliver it to Klaipėda. We realize them easily. If we bought all of them, we would only grow dill, – the gardeners laughed.

Diversity is the guarantee of success

According to John, it is difficult to predict how the production will go. He noticed that market trade is declining, a large part of customers are being lured away by shopping centers. Since radishes need to be sold quickly, they are not sown. Strawberries cover 10 acres. In the past, the Abrams planted more potatoes, now they allocate up to 70 acres.

– We have watering equipment in the fields, so it’s easier. First of all, we grew more. We reduced it because the main problem is sales. Supermarkets usually announce promotions in the second half of the week, before the market, and the person who came says that it was cheaper in the store. Our centers do not take such quantities, they need a lot, constantly and cheaply. We sell on the Internet, we deliver to the homes of those who ask, we go to towns. I might sell in the central market, but there are not many conditions there, you can’t get there by bus, and sales in the big market are low. When trading in the market, you need variety, then you will be more interesting, – the interlocutors have no doubt.

The Abrams say they know how to compete – they sell beautiful vegetables at a more favorable price than others. And Jonas noticed that there are now more resellers than growers. Reda has a second hand to make it easier to list what they don’t grow.

Abromai has been working in the field of horticulture and floriculture for more than 30 years. They were the first in Aukštupiai to start growing flowers in hanging pots, the greenhouses were perhaps the largest. Reda still goes to the market to sell. The fact that she works a lot is revealed by her wrinkled hands.

– We are locals, born and raised in Aukštupiai, we have been married for 34 years. I grew up with my mother’s sister because my mother died when I was six years old. There are a lot of my relatives in this village, said Reda.

John also opened:

– my parents grew cucumbers in the field, sold them in bulk, and after the wedding, we immersed ourselves in that activity, we grew everything: seedlings, vegetables, and flowers.

For several years, Reda was the elder of the village of Aukštupiai, in the elections held in the fall, this position was entrusted to her husband Jonas, who works as a fireman in Vainute, plays with his youngest daughter Janina in the amateur theater of Kęsčiai village, and is a hunter.

Flower fashions change

The range of flowers cultivated by Abroms is distinguished by its diversity, not only annual but also perennial plants grow in their greenhouses. Daughter Janina mentioned that the fathers grow particularly popular primroses, the mother has as many as 70 varieties in her daily collection, and she has 15 species of Siberian irises and 25 species of serenaceae. They sell perfectly wintering yuccas, a wide variety of brush hydrangeas, gazanias and sundavilias, alums and bluebells.

– Flower fashions change dramatically. Grave flowers are much less needed. Look, there are fewer people decorating balconies with flowers in the city. Ancient flowers are coming back into fashion, and especially perennials, because they require less maintenance. I like to work with flowers, and I like to tie verbs. One of our daughters lives in Kaunas, the other in Taurage, only the youngest Janina is with us. When the daughters can, they help us, plant cucumbers, sell dill, said Reda.

Janina Abromaitė is happy that her parents allow her to earn money by selling plants. He has been going to the market with them since he was a child, so he knows the intricacies of trade, he says that he knows how to propose a product. However, the girl assured that “her summers are definitely not sold”, she also has free time, attends clubs, and intends to study next year after finishing the 12th grade at the Žygaičiai Gymnasium. Dad is very proud of his young daughter and said that his daughter has an artistic nature, and Janina wondered where parents get so much energy, they are always full of new ideas.

– Wow, how much mommy loves flowers. Flowers are relaxation for her. I wonder how parents everywhere manage to work so much. Learns to balance leisure and work. Maybe parents are motivated by the process itself, they go to the market, chat with people, although it’s ingrained in my blood – spring is coming, I’m recovering. After returning from school, I go to put peat in cups, on the weekend – to the market. When I buy seedlings myself, there are a lot of people in the market, I like to offer them, – smiles the schoolgirl, emphasizing that her 86-year-old grandmother, her father’s mother, loves roses immensely and also nurtures her flower gardens.

Over 20 beef cattle of the Angus breed work in the mixed Abramų farm, and Jonas sows 5 ha of grain for them. Although the spouses work from dawn to dusk, they have dreams and make new plans for the future. Jonas is maturing the idea of ​​taking a different line of business, he is thinking about recycling. And Reda admitted that he hopes to establish a park and a museum. In the beautiful landscape, by the pond, 200 rose bushes bloom in summer. They have collected a lot of antique household items and items used by the old people on the farm. It’s just that it’s impossible to implement all plans at once.