A greenhouse, quality seeds, or a stove to warm the future harvest – sometimes, very little is needed for a dream to come true.

These are the things that will help the winners of the 7th competition of the “Harvest Way” project from the Zhytomyr region make their farms stronger, more resilient, and a little closer to their dream.

The winners have already signed agreements and will soon receive targeted financial assistance for the development of their households.

Inna Velychko from the village of Veresy in the Zhytomyr community shares:

“I am a fine arts teacher by education. My mother and I have lived in the village and worked on our plot for over 17 years. We submitted an application for the competition to grow different varieties of pumpkins – edible and decorative, as well as Jerusalem artichoke. We cook a very delicious pumpkin jam that is in demand – even restaurants order it. We plan to plant Jerusalem artichoke, as it is a useful and popular plant, especially for people with diabetes. We also want to do a soil analysis, because it is important to know what kind of land you are working on and how to fertilize it correctly. Thank you for this opportunity!”

Oleksandr Maksymenko from Zhytomyr will direct the received funds towards purchasing a stove to heat the greenhouse. His family grows not only traditional crops but also exotic ones – olive trees, oranges, lemons, and bergamot. They previously had heating equipment but donated it for the needs of the defenders. The new stove will help continue growing heat-loving crops.

Yuliia Khoma from Stryzhivka in the Liubar community plans to purchase a greenhouse for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, and other vegetables. Yuliia is opening her own shop and is considering selling some of the grown produce there.

These stories are united by the sincere desire of people to work the land, experiment, and make their home stronger.

We wish the participants success in realizing their plans and generous harvests!

The project is implemented by the Zhytomyr Community Foundation with the support of the National Network for Local Philanthropy Development in cooperation with Fondation de France.