Mr. and Mrs. Buchajczyk – Katarzyna and Tomasz – work together with their parents and brothers on a farm in the village of Pszczewko near Drawno, covering 400 ha of arable land and 500 ha of meadows. There are approximately 200 cattle kept here, including 60 milk cows.
– We mainly grow cereal and rapeseed seeds, a bit of oats and rye for rotation, and corn for silage for cows. We also use plowing in 40-50% of the land because we have a lot of manure and it is better to plow it in, the rest without plowing. Are we satisfied with the harvest this year? Well, this year is going strangely for us. The winter wasn't harsh, the spring wasn't too bad either, but the yields are severely reduced. Purchase prices do not surprise us for now, we will certainly cover the expenses we have incurred, but overall the earnings will not be enough to provide us with financial liquidity for the coming months or years. We will probably save ourselves with loans, or we will expand into other crops and increase the number of cattle. Despite everything, I don't lose my optimism – admits the host.
photo: A.Kozłowska / farmer.pl
The farm benefits from many EU subsidies, such as money for the construction of a manure pad, from a young farmer. The immediate plans include, for example, the purchase of a sprayer and the modernization of the barn, although the latter will be a certain problem, as the farm is located in the Drawieński National Park and Natura 2000 area, and this involves certain limitations in the planned investments.
100,000 well spent. PLN from Rural Development
In July 2022, Mr. and Mrs. Buchajczyk opened the "Katarynka" holiday resort on their own piece of farm.
– We dreamed of a wedding house. But in the end we decided on a holiday resort, which is something we had also thought about before. We decided to use the subsidy for starting non-agricultural business activities from the Rural Development Program 2014-2020, which amounted to PLN 100,000. zloty. From the first installment of PLN 80,000. PLN and from our own savings, we first built three wooden summer houses with an area of 25 square meters each, and we built all the playground equipment, a bridge, etc. – says the host.
As he admits, the investment quickly brought considerable income, which resulted in more houses. Today, holidaymakers have at their disposal 6 wooden holiday houses and a huge playground for children, all built in accordance with building permits.
photo: A.Kozłowska / farmer.pl
The rental price is currently PLN 300 per day for a four-person house.
– We were the only one in the area to offer rentals as part of a tourist voucher – emphasizes Ms. Katarzyna.
Another attraction for guests is the opportunity to eat an egg straight from the hen 🙂 photo: A.Kozłowska / farmer.pl
The season at Mr. and Mrs. Buchajczyk's begins when the frosts stop and lasts until the end of November. Reservations are made up to two years in advance….
But no wonder, there is silence, nature, lakes, mushroom forests around.
photo: A.Kozłowska / farmer.pl
Guests can also take part in many activities performed every day in the countryside, i.e. help milk cows and process milk into products, feed the chickens, help take care of the grocery store, drive a tractor and help transport hay bales… and catch fish in the village. lake, and then smoke them yourself in a smokehouse made by the host.
photo: A. Kozłowska / farmer.pl
Inspiration from practice
Mr. Tomasz admits that in the 1990s he did an internship in the Netherlands.
– There, every farmer I met, in addition to working on the farm, also had their own business, a car repair shop or a bakery, etc. They did not stick to one thing, but diversified their income. I remember that – recalls the host.
Hence, thinking about something different, something of your own, after returning to the country and the idea for a holiday resort.
– This is the place where we make money today and make our dreams come true. Those that we could never fulfill by working only on the farm, such as building our own house. Now we are raising money for an apartment for our daughters while they study. We will also want to insulate our houses so that our offer becomes year-round. There are also plans for a restaurant in Drawno – admits Mr. Tomasz.
It is worth emphasizing that when investing in "Katarynka", the hosts took care of all aspects related to environmental protection. The houses are also ozonated before the season to eliminate any germs and mold. This is again a tribute to people struggling with allergies and wanting to relax in the bosom of nature.
photo: A.Kozłowska / farmer.pl
The establishment of the center also resulted in stimulating the local community to act and to broader, inter-neighborly cooperation.
– We recommend each other here. Thanks to our guests, my friend who recently decided to open an ice cream shop, my friend who runs a fishing shop, and a family I know who delivers ready-made dinners are able to earn additional money – says the host.
Local folk artists and handicrafts also benefit. Their products are presented in the houses as part of the equipment and very often, enchanted guests buy them as souvenirs or order similar ones for their own homes.
"Katarynka" was entered into this year's 24th edition of the Way to Success competition, organized by the Agricultural Advisory Center in Brwinów, in the individual/family category. Farmer has been the media patron of this competition for years.
