Ten years ago, Ľudo Vašš and his friends set up a small craft fruit nursery of 20 ares in Bošáca, with no commercial aim and a single vision: to preserve the gene pool of old and local varieties of the White Carpathians. In 2017 they also expanded to Moravské Lieskové, where they turned 5 hectares of conventionally farmed land into a gene-bank fruit orchard with a strong focus on supporting biodiversity and regenerative land management. They now farm 12 hectares and plan to add another 8 next year.They grow a rich mix of old local fruit varieties, preserving cultural heritage and a diversity of flavours for future generations. In their own words: “We put years of expert knowledge and experience into our work, striving for the best possible results. We want the trees we plant to grow and thrive for a long time, blossoming fruit tree crowns to fill the skyline again, the old fruit treasures we care for to grace the landscape for many years to come, and the original variety of flavours of these fruit varieties to reach the tables of the people who live here.” The White Carpathian landscape and we can only say one thing – thank you!
Comments from members of the Krajina živá expert panel after visiting the farm:
Doc. RNDr. Eva Bulánková, CSc., hydrobiologist:
“The Ovocná a okrasná škôlka farm boasts a wealth of organically grown native and old tree varieties that look healthy and tempting to gardeners.”
Ing. Jaroslav Jankoviča CSc., agroforestry specialist:
“The founders of this fruit nursery were pioneers in Slovakia in mapping and, above all, actually saving old and local fruit tree varieties in the White Carpathians. I particularly value that they set a trend that is now being followed in other parts of Slovakia too.”
Mgr. Adriana Hološková, ornithologist:
“The fruit nursery in Moravské Lieskové is a model of biological control of aphids, deliberately using their natural predators – earwigs.”
