Supplied locals with food so they would not have to get it from occupiers: a farmer's story from Kherson Oblast
In 2012, Vitalii Shakalo, an engineer at Khersonoblenergo [the state-owned energy company that supplies power in Kherson Oblast - ed.], founded his farm, named Shafran Liubymivskyi, in order to cultivate niche сultures. He experimented a great deal, and has grown tulips, daffodils, lavender, and saffron on his eight hectares over the past few years. He also grew asparagus and greens.
The village of Liubymivka, where Vitalii lives, was occupied by the Russians on the morning of 24 February. For the next month, he volunteered, delivering food to people from neighbouring hromadas [administrative units designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories - ed.]. But when he found out that there was an order for his arrest, he fled the village. At the moment, he is in the Netherlands together with his wife and three children.
As the farm is still under occupation, Vitalii is learning from Dutch farmers how to grow flowers and greenery in greenhouses. Vitalii has told his story to Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia [Life].
From onions and tomatoes to saffron and lavender
Vitalii Shakalo is a nuclear engineer by profession. He enrolled at the Sevastopol National University of Nuclear Energy and Industry in order to earn an engineering degree in non-traditional and renewable energy sources. However, he did not get to finish his studies because of the annexation of Crimea.
"I had been working at Khersonoblenergo since 2007 as a duty engineer on high-voltage substations. I had a good salary and a convenient schedule: one day working, three days off. Therefore, in 2012 I started devoting my free time to my hobby - working the land. First, I grew crops that are traditional in Kherson Oblast: onions, tometoes, and strawberries. But then I switched to more original ones," Vitalii recollected.
People in Kherson Oblast and beyond know the Shafran Liubymivskyi farm well. Before the coronavirus pandemic, approximately 30,000 people came to see the tulips in bloom. And this was only for the two-week period when they were at their peak.
After that, lovers of lilies and lavender visited. However, as Vitalii remarked, agricultural tourism was not profitable. Entrance tickets cost only 15-30 hryvnias [approximately US$0.42-0.81 - ed.]. The funds collected were spent on preparing the soil, setting up photography areas and paying the guides. The agrotourism itself served to promote the farm.
The saffron grown on the farm was made into spice. It is considered to be one of the most expensive spices in the world: 1 gram costs at least 200 hryvnias [approximately US$5.42 - ed.] in Ukraine. Sales of the spice constituted the main income for the company. Vitalii Shakalo says that saffron is a natural flavour enhancer and preservative. For instance, it prolongs the shelf life of apple marshmallows from 7 to 30 days.
Ten people looked after the big flower garden. When the guided tour season started, the family would hire 200 extra employees. And they involved 30 more staff to collect the saffron.
These greenhouses are not like traditional Ukrainian ones. They are larger, higher, and are automated. Besides, they would have run on 70% alternative energy sources. The farm was planning to grow tulips in these innovative greenhouses in order to be able to sell them year round.
Preparations were 95% ready, but Russia’s invasion destroyed everything.
Delivered food to people so as not to take humanitarian aid from the Russians
Vitalii Shakalo realised that Russia would start a large-scale war in Ukraine. Therefore, he prepared both his family and the farm for the invasion. In particular, he bought additional generators and set aside a year’s worth of reserves of petrol and food for ten people. They packed go bags at home and prepared his wife’s car in case they might need to leave the village.
At the same time, everyone continued working according to their usual schedule: cleaned the greenhouses, purchased equipment, built necessary structures, etc.
"On 24 February, we woke up at 5 because of an explosion. It was so loud that my wife and I thought that a gas boiler had exploded in the kitchen. Then there were repeated explosions. And by 8 am, the Russian military had passed through our village in transit, set up roadblocks and stationed "DNR soldiers" at them, recalls Vitalii.
Vitalii’s wife and children refused to leave the village when she found out that he was staying. So they started volunteering together. Vitalii and his friends spent a month delivering food to people in their own and surrounding villages. They distributed what they grew in their greenhouses, as well as milk, butter and flour, which were given out by local entrepreneurs.
"For the first month, people were afraid to pass by roadblocks. And there were no more groceries left in the local stores. The goal of our work was to feed people and prevent them from taking humanitarian aid from Russians. And we succeeded", says the farmer.
One day, at the end of March, Vitalii was returning home from another volunteer delivery round. At the checkpoint, the "DNR soldiers" informed him that they had orders to arrest him the next morning and so advised him to leave Liubymivka. Vitalii believes that he was lucky enough to come across these particular servicemen. They had been mobilised in Donetsk right on the street and did not want to fight. More than once, the soldiers looked for ways to surrender, but there were none. The contact line passed as far as 80 km from Liubymivka.
Therefore, Vitalii and Tetiana took their three small children and a few essentials and left their native land for the Netherlands.
On the same wavelength as nature
The family is currently in the Netherlands. Vitalii is studying the experience of local farmers and is preparing to use what he learns in Kherson Oblast next season.
"When I left the Kherson Oblast, I was offered land in Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Ternopil oblasts. Dutch farmers wanted to provide planting materials and equipment on credit for use there. But I refused. I believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and that next season I will work on my own farm. Because it would be difficult to take care of two small fields, the distance between which is almost 1000 km. Moreover, we grow atypical crops that require constant supervision. So now I am using this time to study the experience of the Netherlands. I plan to get a job in local greenhouses to see the process from the inside out", Vitalii Shakalo explains his choice.
He finds that greenhouses in the Netherlands are very different from typical Ukrainian ones, and even from the innovative ones that he created at home. Instead of tape, glass is used here. They are at least 14 m in height. All this increases the energy efficiency of the structures. Automated plant care systems are also being installed in the Netherlands. There are no such systems in Ukraine yet. So there's a lot to learn.
"I love working the land. So do my wife and small children. We plant crops that are interesting to us. I know how to grow and sell strawberries and tomatoes. But that's what everyone does, and I'm interested in experimenting. For example, initially, we got 1 gram of saffron spice from 400 flowers. Now we can make the same amount out of 100. It's so inspiring when you see the result of your efforts; you really feel that you've learned more about nature. For me, working with plants means being on the same wavelength as nature itself, life itself.", says Vitalii.
Natalia Naidyuk, for UP. Zhyttia
The material was prepared as part of a project of the "Misto-sad" (Garden City) NGO.