SK01 - Hamelli Záhradníctvo

IDENTIFICATION OF THE CASE STUDY

Case study number: SK-01

Name of the farm/organization: Hamelli Záhradníctvo / Hamelli Horticulture

Title of the case study:

When a stable business can help unstable people

MAIN DATA

Country

Slovakia

Year of establishment

2002 / with target groups from 2018

Target groups

• Mentally disabled people

Type of farm

Horticulture, family business

Size (in hectares)

4 ha

Numbers of employees from target groups

Approximately 10

Number of members from target groups using services without employment

0

Sources they live from

Own resources - sale

Innovative / not innovative

Innovative

Websites:

www.hamelli.sk

www.2343ec78a04c6ea9d80806345d31fd78-gdprlock/profile.php?id=100067917973815

www.8dc6460bbbb088757ed67ed8fb316b1b-gdprlock/hamellizahradnictvo

DESCRIPTION

Hamelli s.r.o. is a family business that was born with growing and gardening. Generations of their ancestors lived in the village called Kružná, where their family and most of the inhabitants of the village grew vegetables and flowers and sold them in the markets. In 2002, they found a piece of land, near the water, in Gombasek, where they started their gardening. The land they work on is 4 ha and they mainly grow balcony flowers, perennials, annuals, chrysanthemums, cabbage, pumpkins, etc. Five years ago (2018), they were approached by the management of the Jasanima Rožňava Home of Social Services to employ clients with a milder mental handicap, deprived of autonomy. They still employ them today from their own resources. They do not use subsidies or other forms of external support because they are discouraged by excessive administration and the complexity of the projects. During the covid pandemic, they were forced to set up their own e-shop and expand their clientele by a 100 km radius. They have their own drivers and vans, as they guarantee the safety of the products they deliver. They have recently renovated the building, a ruined cultural monument from which they have created their own café, Mandevilla, where they focus on promoting the region. We spoke with the co-owner and co-founder of Hamelli Horticulture, Mrs. Zuzana Hamelli.

POSITIVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

As they say themselves, they would never think of approaching such people, because every employer wants to have the best people - capable, intelligent. But even though they went into it with apprehensions, they quickly found out that "they are people with a big P, and the feeling that we can help them was the biggest motivation for us... when we see that they are happy at work and when they can't wait, that they will come again. They will be here as long as we have the chance," says co-owner Zuzana.

During the covid pandemic, they lost a lot of business because the cemeteries were closed, and they were left with a lot of healthy chrysanthemums in the fall. At that time, they donated hundreds of flowers to the city of Rožňava, which they decorated with and helped to bring more colors and smiles to the city during that difficult time. They also recall how at that time many people realized the importance of agricultural work, which was suddenly the most basic thing for life, and therefore they appeal for better support for agricultural activity, which people often treat as something inferior.

They consider their greatest success to be their regular and satisfied customers who return year after year. They are particularly pleased to support the region and local products, to which they try to contribute as much as possible, because they are aware of the importance of this support for the local economy and entrepreneurs, as well as the impact of quality food on health. 

OBSTACLES, HOW TO OVERCOME

“We don't have the manpower. Few people want to work in agriculture. Roma residents, by receiving support from the state, would rather survive on little than go to physical work. And white people all want to be engineers, doctors, marketers. And with the Roma, there is also such a problem that they work more illegally,” says Mrs. Hamelli.

Weather and climate change are of course an important issue - the area where they want to build the lavender field was recently flooded.

Another problem is that people prefer inferior and cheaper products to regional ones. "The region needs to be promoted more politically. People need to be encouraged to leave their money here in the region and not take it to someone else," says Mrs. Hamelli.

They see laws as another obstacle - especially the complicated hygiene standards in our state, which other states do not have to comply with, making it difficult and often demotivating for entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, laws are made by people "from the table" and not from practice.

When it comes to working with clients, the Hamelli consider safety on the job to be the biggest issue - since clients are sleepy by medication, each drug has different effects, works differently in the sun, etc. Fortunately, they are always under the supervision of an "instructor" who monitors their health. The quality of the work done is also an issue, but this was foreseen from the beginning. 

RECOMMENDATIONS, ADVICE 

Farmers should not be afraid to employ these people and help them. "Once I'm the leader but a tragedy can happen and I can be on the other side too," she says. Humanity should not disappear from the business because "when there is humanity in business, there is also quality", - adds Hamelli. And they mainly want to sell quality products. "Farmers shouldn't think that they can be exploited as cheap labour. They should always be aware that these people have more problems than healthy people. These people are easy to like because they are like children - they enjoy the little things that we can no longer enjoy. That's why we can learn a lot from them." The Hamellis regularly organize Christmas parties for Jasanima clients and buy them gifts, which they appreciate very much, as well as the party itself, to which they go (to the greenhouse) festively dressed.

PROMOTION OF A FARM 

They sell directly in the sales hall, where the customer, accompanied by a sales assistant, chooses for himself. They also act as suppliers to large florists. Unfortunately, as they say, florists often choose rather from Polish production as it is cheaper. As a way of promotion they use their website with an e-shop, which they launched during the covid period. They also have a Facebook profile, Instagram and use billboards on the roadside.

FINAL SENTENCES 

The Hamelli family expects better support for these people from the state in the future, because they see how important it is for them to be included among healthy people. Within five years they plan to build a lavender field with a manufactory for the production of various souvenirs (lavender cushions, candles, soaps, etc.), that the people of Jasanima could produce. In this way they could employ more people - women (as gardening work is better for men). They also plan to build a restaurant where they will cook from their own food.

“I am most proud of the fact that our children stayed in this region - in our family business. We develop our gardening together and inspire each other (the younger generation created an e-shop),” says co-owner Zuzana.