IDEA GI - AGRICULTURAL WOMEN COOPERATION

In 2001 we started 10 women and founded the women's cooperative of the Municipality of Rouvas "EITHER GREEN". The stimulus was given to us by the office of social support services of the municipality of Rouba.

Our aim is to find a job and strengthen our family budget. There was no capital and we could not get into a program, and so each one of us made a small one and we started. We took raw materials (sugar jars) to make sweets, jams, then we continued with pickles: a wild artichoke, coming out in our area and not on the market is unique, caper knot-stubble, pomelo, olives, sun-dried tomato.

We collect and standardize them on our own and we started to market them on the way. It was very difficult at first when we met and tried our products, they liked it, and that encouraged us and continued.

We worked for 5 years without paying but investing. We rented a space from the Municipality with a symbolic amount, we had equipment with a small program of Developmental Heraklion (local social capital), we bought a car to transport our products to Heraklion and from there all over Greece and abroad. In this area we rented from our Municipality we work a tavern and a workshop. We then began to taste pastries, cookies, breadcrumbs, nuts, nuts, shredded buns, Xerotangana and various varieties for events.
After 4 years we got a plot of 3 acres, we entered a program of Developmental Heraklion OPACH and we built our own 250m2 laboratory with larger machines to increase our production but still needed enough money to complete. The building that we rented from the Municipality was transformed into a tavern with a program of Developmental Crete "Greek cuisine" that we also got the EOT label.

It is the result that we women have when we do not depend on anyone and we work in a group that does not have strict rules. We are happy for all that we have achieved and for the great acceptance of the world in our effort.