The next partner meeting and study visit of FRIDGE project will be hosted and organised by University of Western Macedonia in the end of September 2021. The meeting will take place in the beautiful city of Velvendo located in Kozani area, Greece.
During the one-and-a-half-day meeting partners will discuss project related issues, learn more about Western Macedonian food sector and its good practices and also share good practices from other partner regions.
The agenda for the meeting
Wednesday 22nd of September
Meeting venue: Agnanti Hotel, Velvendo, Kozani
Time zone: Local time in Greece, Eastern European Time, EET
9:00 - 9:30 (EET) Welcome and networking coffee
9:30 - 11:30 (EET) Partnership Workshop
- Welcome and introduction
- Enterprise Europe Network and Krokos Kozanis - Good Practices from Western Macedonia
- Presentation of 5 Good Practices from other partner regions
a. Local products in local supermarkets - a local LEADER project from Tolna County
b. Regional cooperatives connecting local food producers and consumers in East-Flanders
c. Food Forum and Food Team - Regional Food Cluster Networks in South Ostrobothnia
d. Food Startup Incubator Weihenstephan, Bavaria
e. TBC
NOTE: The first part of the event between 9:30 and 11:30 am will be streamed via Zoom and can be followed by stakeholders and other interested partners across the Europe. Join us in Zoom meeting.
12:30 - 17:00 (EET) Three Study Visits in Velvendo area
- ASEPOP VELVENTOU - Agricultural Cooperative for Processing and Sale of Fruit and Vegetable Products. ASEPOP Velventou is an agricultural cooperative that was founded in 1917 in Velvento and produces more than 14,000 tonnes of fruits, mainly peaches and nectarines and on a smaller scale, apricots, kiwis, plums, pears, quinces and cherries. It has about 400 producers who currently cultivate about 6,500 acres. The products of the cooperative are located throughout Greece and also are exported to Central and Eastern European countries, mainly in Russia. The export rate reaches 40% of total sales and the total volume of exports exceeds 3,250,000 kg of fruits. For more info: https://asepop.gr/
- ASOP VELVENTOU “DIMITRA”- Agricultural Cooperative for Processing and Sale of Fruit and Vegetable Products. The agricultural cooperative «Dimitra» in Velvento with more than 170 producers, gathers, packages, standardizes and distributes to the market fresh fruits like peaches, nectarines, apples, plums, cherries, apricots and quinces. The premises of the cooperative are located in an area of 15,000 m2, with building facilities of a total area of 3,500 m2. Nowadays, the agricultural cooperative «Dimitra» distributes fresh fruits, in the foreign markets of about 50% and respectively 50% in the internal market.
For more info: https://dimitracoop.gr/ - VINEYARD VOYATZI A modern 3-hectare vineyard was created by the lake, located in an old vine of the Voyatzis family. Designed to produce high-quality wines of a distinctive character, it was planted with local and other varieties during 1991-1994. The Voyatzis family enjoys a long heritage as wine merchants, documented since the early 20th century, when large quantities of wine from the Velvento area were transported for sale at the then developing town of Katerini, where the family settled, running a wine-cellar and ouzo-house until 1922.
For more info: http://www.ktimavoyatzi.gr/ - Kosmas Kipirtogloy’s dairy “Lefkara farm”. The heese business is housed in a brand new and state-of-the-art facilityof 1500 sq.m.. The unit, using its modern equipment, is able to process daily 10 tones of sheep and goat milk and cow's milk. It is worth noting that milk which the business processes - as a whole - comes from producers in the region. Emphasizing on quality and taste, PDO slices, xinotiri, goat cheese, traditional yogurt, kefalograviera, kefalotyri, gruyere, PDO butter, fresh butter, cream cheese, and cheese based on local recipes with milk from local producers. No preservatives are used in the preparation of the products, and in particular the slice is Product Designation of Origin (PDO). Mr. Kosmas Kipirtoglou's dairy and cheese products company is located on a privately owned land in the area of "Black Soil" in Lefkara Local Community, on the north side of the municipality of Servia-Velvento.
For more info: https://lefkarafarm.gr/about-us/?lang=en
Thursday 23rd of September
Venue: Agnanti Hotel, Velvendo, Kozani
9:00 - 10:30 Technical Meeting for specialty group 3 methodology and action plans. Steering Committee Meeting.
The meeting will take place as a physical meeting if the Covid-19 pandemic situation will allow.
Picture: Giannis Nikolaidis, Pixabay