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The team at Kajak.mk decided to share Dushica’s story because of the "Berovko" brand behind her name. The reason we support it is due to the love, care for the plants, and respect for the production process that defines her products.
Dushica says that in Berovo, she’s known as "the Skopje woman who makes marmalades and soaps," which is completely fair, considering that her time and dedication go into making these products. Her husband, Aleksandar, comes from a family that has been involved in animal husbandry for generations, but due to the state of livestock farming in Macedonia, they decided to take a break from it for a while.
The desire to live on the mountain, take care of their property and pastures, and one day return to livestock farming led Dushica to start processing the fruit from Aleksandar's orchards (mainly plums) into marmalade.
Today, in addition to plums, Dushica also makes marmalade from wild blackberries and wild raspberries, which are abundant in the region. Other offerings include marmalades from strawberries, peaches, apricots, and fruit mixes.
Berovo is a town with the highest concentration of oxygen, boasting stunning nature that in some places remains untouched by humans—wild yet tame, the perfect balance.
The town has harsh winters, with temperatures reaching -30°C, and mild summers, making it an ideal summer destination. Dushica loves this about Berovo, though she says that Berovo and Maleshevo are not well-promoted within Macedonia, and there is little information about them online.
She mentions that the region offers many cycling and hiking trails, which she and her husband Aleksandar have been working on over the past two years.
There are many huts with history, endless pastures, wells with pure water, endemic species of animals and plants, and most importantly—beautiful pine forests.
Their farm is no longer a classic farm as it was five years ago. Today, it includes pastures, meadows with about thirty medicinal herbs and teas, and orchards surrounded by dense beech forests. Located 4 kilometers from the first paved road near Berovo Lake and about 13 kilometers from Berovo, the farm is reachable only on foot, by a 4x4 vehicle with an experienced driver, or via a hiking and cycling trail currently under development.
Dushica and Aleksandar operate on the principle: "What’s born from the orchards is enough, more fruit for the next year." This means that the fruit growing on their farm, some of which is over 40 years old, is never sprayed, watered, or treated with artificial fertilizers. Even when they wanted to water it, they couldn't, as water is limited in this region, and the source has just enough for drinking and maintaining the cabin. This makes maintenance easier, but with a lower income.
They mainly produce marmalades and juices from the fruit. Their assortment includes marmalades of plums, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, apricots, and fruit mixes, as well as quince jam (with and without hazelnuts), plum jam, and blackberry jam. They also offer cherry juice and thick juice made from apples, quinces, and peaches.
Their products are sold through Facebook and via friends and family.
"As they say—word of mouth travels far, and we’ve never had a problem with distribution. On the contrary, if we had even more of what we have, it still wouldn’t be enough," says Dushica.
While their fruit does not have organic certification, Dushica believes that their eco-production is even better than any certified organic production, since they don’t use even the pesticides allowed in organic farming. With the only neighbor being the beech forest, there are no pollutants in the area, and the first road is about 4 kilometers away. Dushica is happy to be a part of the Slow Food Macedonia family.
For now, visits to the farm are not allowed, as they are not always there. However, Dushica says that if a group of guests arranges in advance, a hiking tour to Tornichevec can be organized, and the group can be welcomed in a shepherd-style hut with a snack or lunch.
If you'd like to walk as a group or organize an event, you can consider Dushica, a local who does small things of great importance for tourism development.
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