• Construction works: The construction work for completing the building commenced in 2019 but was much delayed due to the pandemic. COVID-19 not only caused a scarcity in construction materials, and an increase in prices, but also a shortage in manpower. A request was therefore made to extend the deadlines of the project. This was approved, and the construction work was finally completed by the end of 2021. The technical inspection and use permit were issued on January 31, 2022.
• Equipment purchase: A machine for separating the husks from buckwheat grains was procured, ordered and reserved through an advance payment in June 2019. However, the company that manufactured the machine was based in Ukraine, and when the war was declared in February 2022, further heavy delays of the project became unavoidable. Another request to extend the deadline for the completion of the project was made and approved in May 2022. Regular contact with the equipment manufacturer was maintained, and finally, in March 2023, the machinery could be delivered. The processing of buckwheat and production of new products could begin (stuffed pillowcases of various dimensions for play, rest, sitting, etc.).
• Project administration: In April 2023, all necessary documentation on the completion of the project was submitted, and a final Payment Request was made.

Across all stages of the implementation of the project, the project beneficiary co-operated with a range of stakeholders, such as the local community (the Association of Hajdina, fellow citizens), the advisory service, public administration bodies (Varaždin County), the scientific community (the Faculty of Agriculture in Zagreb, the Experiment Station in Šašinovac, the Second

• New and innovative food and non-food buckwheat products are now produced and sold, leading to an increase in customers and revenue for the business.
• One job was created, increasing the number of women employed locally.
• Energy consumption and production costs have been reduced due to the new equipment, whereby the energy for processing the buckwheat (heating and soaking) originates from its own by-product (i.e. the separated husks). This reduces the energy costs for non-renewables and is a more efficient consumption of energy.
• More than forty young people and eight professors have visited the farm through organised educational visits from Croatian primary and secondary schools, as well as from ERASMUS+ projects.
• The production of the new products triggered income generation for other local businesses (a local artist working on illustrations for pillowcases).
• New collaborations were created with the "Hajdina Association", involving the use of the newly processed buckwheat in their traditional buckwheat dish "Kučanski Koščičjak", which is protected by a trademark. Additionally, the “Vidovec Municipality Women's Association”, now uses processed buckwheat to promote traditional and local cuisine. The farm also created links with the “Association of Coeliacs of NW Croatia” and with the scientific community in the study "from sowing to buckwheat on the plate".
• The farm has registered as a producer of "Varaždinska buckwheat" seeds, which enables it to sell the seeds as a listed domestic/domesticated variety. The farm plans to process the buckwheat of other farmers, using the equipment purchased under the project.

• In collaboration with the local population, the project was instrumental in reviving the traditions of the region. During the implementation period, successful connections were established with the local community to jointly achieve a good, meaningful common goal.
• Although the project was challenged by major world events, pursuing the project’s vision and maintaining contact with the relevant authorities and manufacturing businesses was immensely important.
• During project implementation and during the entire period of waiting for the equipment to arrive, the family farm continued working, and managed to register and list the buckwheat variety.