Good Practice - Project
The beginning of the Sudár Farm
Making the hobby of mixing spices and herbs into a thriving and award-winning business.
General information
RDP Priority
- P2. Competitiveness
RDP Focus Area
- 2A: Farm’s performance, restructuring & modernisation
- 6A: Diversification & job creation
- 6B: Local development
RDP Measure
- M04: Investments in physical assets
- M06: Farm & business development
- M19: LEADER/CLLD
Beneficiary type
- Farmer / land manager
Summary
Since Zsóka Sudárné Boros took over the family farm in 2017, the mother of four developed Sudár Farm into a successful business by cultivating and producing spices and herbs. The philosophy of the 8.5 hectares farm in the Northwest of Hungary is based on traditional values, sustainability, organic production and the promotion of environmental awareness and education. Approximately 20 medicinal and spice plants are grown on-farm and complemented by ten additional plant varieties collected from the surrounding forests. They all form the ingredients for producing a large selection of spice mixes, teas, essential oils, syrups, soups and other seasonal products.
The organic farm is 100% chemical-free, and its soil is enriched with natural, biodegradable materials. All processing on the farm is done manually to ensure a controlled and high-quality result. No salt, dyes, or preservatives are added to the end products, relying exclusively on the characteristic scent and aroma of the herbs and spices.
Results
- A 70 m2 small plant was built in 2021 and received HACCP certification (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) in 2022, with the entire factory being gluten-free and vegan.
- The product line has expanded to over 45 types, including spice mixes, teas, ground paprika, paprika cream, scented pillows, thyme syrup and bagged soups.
- Zsóka quadrupled her income between 2021 to 2022.
- The farm provides jobs for four people, Zsóka and three colleagues: a plant and commercial manager and a physical worker.
Promoter
Sudár Family Farm
Funding
Total budget: ~80 500 (EUR)
EAFRD: ~37 000 (EUR)
National/Regional: ~9 250 (EUR)
Private/own: ~34 250 (EUR)
Ressources
Documents
Good Practice Report - The beginning of the Sudár Farm
(PDF – 1.41 Mo)
Context
Zsóka Sudárné Boros took over the family farm in 2017 when her parents retired. It is located in Győrújfalu, a village in the northwest of Hungary.
Despite her limited professional experience, Zsóka was enthusiastic about implementing her vision of turning her hobby of mixing spices into a viable business. In 2019, with the help of experienced family members, Zsóka successfully applied for support from the Food Industry Supplier Development Programme. This provided her with the initial capital for developing a summer kitchen, which then developed into a small production unit. Zsóka applied to LEADER and small business support for further development and expansion.
Despite being still at the outset of her business development, Zsóka won the Hungaricool competition by SPAR in 2021 enabling her to display her products in supermarkets across Hungary. Despite the short time frame to finalise her products, Sudár Birtok spice mixes were successfully placed on the shelves of Hungarian supermarket stores for one year in 2022. As a result, the business gained considerable income that funded further developments.
Since then, the company acquired many partners and sells its products through many channels across Hungary (mainly in Budapest and western Hungary). There are ambitions to venture into some of the neighbouring countries as well (Slovakia and Austria) in future.
The farm also provided environmental education. This was important for Zsóka because she wanted to pass on her knowledge and love of the land. She regularly welcomes school groups, volunteers and university students.
Objectives
The main objectives of the project were to create a viable business from a hobby of mixing spices to help maintain the family farm. To start production, the immediate aim was to build a small plant by replacing an existing barn. There was also a focus on producing high-quality, special, organic products. In addition, it was clear that the farm needed to increase its revenue by continuously improving and expanding its herb and spice cultivation area and utilising more of its available arable land.
It was important for the farm owner to take into account the unique needs of her customers and partners.
Activities
The main activities of the intervention in 2018 involved the construction of a small production plant on the site of an existing old barn. In 2019, LEADER co-financed a number of investments for essential equipment. This included purchasing a drying cabinet for the plant, a laptop for managing business activities, a trailer and an irrigation system (0.5 hectares) for the area of the medicinal plants and herbs. Further activities focused on conducting market research for product development and marketing activities to foster market access.
Main results
- A 70 m2 small plant was completed in 2021 and received HACCP certification (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) in 2022, with the entire factory being gluten-free and vegan.
- The product line increased to over 45 types of products, including spice mixes, teas, ground paprika, paprika cream, scented pillows, thyme syrup and bagged soups.
- Zsóka quadrupled her income between 2021 to 2022.
- The farm provides jobs for four people, Zsóka and three colleagues: a plant and commercial manager and a physical worker.
- The farm provides permanent opportunities for volunteers and students to explore farm life, deepen their knowledge or simply have fun.
- In 2023, Sudár Farm received the title of Generali Sustainability Hero with the award ceremony held in Brussels.
- Zsóka's thyme syrup was patented. One of its biggest advantages is that it contains no preservatives. The technology used has raised the interest of a research institute for potential collaboration in future.
The business success inspired the farm owner to commence a bachelor's degree in food engineering to deepen her knowledge in the field of functional foods.
Key lessons
- In recent years, the business has frequently worked with the Local Action Group, the Szigetköz-Mosoni-Sík LEADER Association, which supported the application process. However, despite the helpfulness and competence of the LAG and its LEADER team, decision-making was very slow in the case of both applications. This can potentially be discouraging and frustrating to applicants.