Summary

Šolar Farm was taken over by Darja Šolar who resigned from her previous job as accountant to become a young farmer. The farm has a more than 35 year tradition of beekeeping. The farm is one of only a few beekeeping holdings in Slovenia who maintain one of the oldest traditional national crafts – gingerbread making. 

Support from the Slovenian Rural Development Programme was used to acquire beekeeping equipment including a beeswax cooker and a larger honey extractor. Darja also purchased new beehives and restored the room where the extracting and storing honey takes place. She also set up a new insulated apiary and purchased ICT equipment including a personal computer and a phone.

Results

When Darja Šolar took over the farm it had 62 beehives in three locations. Today, the farm has 130 beehives in seven locations. 

In 2018, the farm produced five varieties of honey (chestnut tree, forest, floral, lime and acacia honey). Before the investment, the farm produced only three varieties of honey. 

Gingerbread production increased from 150 kg to 450 kg. 

The farm began to attend more fairs and local events from one per month to four per month. 

The number of individuals visiting the farm increased from approximately five to 25 visits per month.