Megalopolis
Two brothers, Nikos and Dimitris Smyrnis, set up a pioneering organic farm a little way outside the Peloponnesian city of Megalopolis, starting out with an unexploited family inheritance of 15 hectares of land. «At the beginning, we were engaged in nomadic beekeeping. Then to feed the bees, we planted herbs on the plot of land. Now we have placed most of it under cultivation, in an attempt to create a unified ecosystem,» Nikos Smyrnis said. The concern produces certified organic herbs and wine from organically grown grapes. The bees yield other products apart from honey, such as wax, soap and cosmetics. As Smyrnis explained, «There’s no point in becoming involved in this business if you can’t dispose of your goods yourself, thus avoiding middlemen so that you can earn the greater proportion of the price paid by the consumer.» To this end, the brothers set up a packaging center and will soon begin a pasta-making workshop that will use organic raw materials also produced on the plot. «We have olives and that’s where the goats graze, so we’ll have the milk to make the pasta,» Smyrnis said.
