Leaving Skopje Behind: How I Started My Farm in Prespa

Wrapping up the last days of 2020 with the most searched reads on Kajak.mk

A text published in September:

Eco-tourism platform Kajak.mk today introduces you to Ana, a woman with a background in IT and a degree in Information Technology, who has decided to dedicate her life to developing agritourism and cultivating something much needed in our country — fruit orchards.

Ana shares her story for the first time on Kajak.mk, and thanks to her inspiring journey, our team believes that the idea of developing agritourism in the country will reach many other young people who are still searching for themselves and their true calling.

Ana lived in Skopje for 17 years until the moment she decided to return to Prespa and pursue her dream called “Spirit of Prespa.”

Her love for Prespa and the desire to promote the region contributed to the creation of the “Spirit of Prespa” brand. The family has been around for more than 60 years, and they are the fifth generation of owners.

The orchard, where they have planted fruit trees, spans 5 hectares, where guests have the opportunity to learn about growing apples, cherries, and plums, and to purchase products from their home store, which is stocked with goods from several families in Prespa.

“In 2017, they realized the farm needed diversification to remain sustainable. After conducting research and following trends in America and Europe, they decided to focus on agro-tourism.”

They started organizing pick-your-own-fruit events in 2018. During October, visitors can participate in the Apple Harvest, where they receive branded tote bags to fill with apples of their choice.

At the moment, Ana says they don’t have a phone number for contact, but interested visitors can reach out to them through their “Spirit of Prespa” page.

Their farm shop is located in Carev Dvor — a village in the Resen Municipality, in the Upper Prespa region, near the town of Resen. Carev Dvor lies about five kilometers north of the shore of the Great Prespa Lake, at the crossroads of the Bitola-Korça and Resen-Ezerani roads, in the southern part of the Resen Field. Through the village’s land flows the Bolshnica (Bolska River), whose water level significantly decreases or completely dries up during the summer months.