Živka Đurčinovska: Agricultural products from the village of Tumčevište, Macedonia

Živka Đurčinovska lives in the village of Tumčevište. However, if you talk to her, you'll realize that she lives for Tumčevište. If you visit this village and ask the locals about her, they will surely provide you with plenty of information, as she proudly presents herself as the first woman registered as an individual farmer in this village.

For those who are hearing about Tumčevište for the first time, it is important to know that the village is located in the heart of the Upper Polog Plain, at an altitude of 490 meters. The village is nestled between the mountains of Suva Gora to the east and Shar Mountain to the west, with the Vardar River flowing on the left side.

Živka comes from a family known for its plant and livestock production. However, what is most interesting to her is that she is considered a representative of the village when discussions arise about improving the overall position of women in the community. There is also a local association of female farmers, "Moja Farma," of which she is the president. The association is part of the "Rural Coalition" through which they established "Naša tezga," the first online marketplace for selling agricultural products and processed goods made exclusively by women from rural areas.

Živka says that she takes on changes and risks without fear or hesitation. This is how the story of her hazelnut plantations, for which she is well known in the village and surrounding area, came about.

Tumčevište has very fertile soil. There is water directly near the fields, and the agricultural families are able to adapt to the modernization of agricultural production. Today, you can find tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn, wheat, and in recent years, hazelnuts, for which the soil is suitable and of good quality.

Today, Živka is proud of her hazelnut plantations, corn, beans, wheat, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Some of these products can be found every Tuesday at the market in Gostivar.

When it comes to soil cultivation and food production, she says that they mostly work with modern machinery. They have three tractors, a combine harvester, and auxiliary machinery, and in recent years, they have invested in modernizing hazelnut production to ease the production process and keep up with the pace of modern food production processes.

Besides production, Živka is also involved in food processing. What is interesting is that she processes only traditional recipes, preparing winter preserves, ajvar, various types of spreads made from hazelnuts or honey with hazelnuts, stuffed peppers, and similar traditional foods.

According to Živka, whatever one desires, they can achieve! She says it's not always easy, but the goal justifies all the investments. The most important thing, she believes, is to work with love and to give your maximum effort.

When it comes to support, she acknowledges all the close people around her. However, she says that she is a woman ready to take risks, and those risks bring consequences that she must face alone.

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