Former Ministry of Emergency Situations Rescuer Became a Farmer and Grows Blueberries
People come from all over Brest district for berries to the retired lieutenant colonel of the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The head of the 'Cherry Glade' farm, Yuri Kolyada, was born in the city, but spent his school holidays in the village with his grandparents in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. There he herded sheep, cows, and in autumn dug potatoes with his parents.
Perhaps this influenced his decision to start growing blueberries in his adulthood, after 20 years of service in the Ministry of Emergency Situations. It was with this berry that the history of the farm began, which he started with a childhood friend — who also initially had no connection to agriculture.
“I understood that this was my calling: a tractor, a field, and berries. My heart has always been in it,” he says.
Times.by visited the Brest region, saw how blueberries are harvested, and found out what constitutes a farmer's quiet happiness.
Not just harvesting healthy berries, but also agricultural recreation
Wednesday, 9:30 AM, and we are standing in a 4-hectare field planted with blueberries, almost at the edge of the country — in the village of Malyya Radvanichy, Brest district. Yuri Kolyada, along with his partner Sergey Meshchanov, has been here since 5 AM: they need to inspect everything and prepare to meet guests. Today is self-picking day for berries, which means people will come for them from all over Brest and beyond.
The idea of self-picking didn't come to the farm immediately. In the first years, blueberries were exported to Russia, but then they decided to focus on domestic consumers. Moreover, the self-picking format was suggested by the customers themselves.
Now during the season, three days a week, anyone can come to the field, pick berries, and pay 12 rubles per kilogram. The price is lower than the market price, where a kilogram of blueberries currently costs 15-18 rubles, and such economics might not be as profitable for farmers. However, for them, that's not the main thing.
“Our task is not so much to provide people with berries, but to create conditions for agricultural recreation,” Yuri notes. “It's pleasant to see how guests enjoy and delight in interacting with nature. Our field is located in the middle of a forest, and you don't often find such a location among farmers.”
Yuri and Sergey chose blueberries from other agricultural crops almost by chance. The berry is popular — that's what influenced them. They leased land, bought seedlings from nurseries in Belarus, and established a garden. Today, it has many diverse varieties, including those well-known to gardeners like 'Bluecrop,' 'Duke,' 'Elizabeth'.
The start-up capital for launching the business consisted exclusively of personal savings, accumulated from salaries. They received their first small blueberry harvest only in the third year after planting the bushes — which is typically how long it takes from planting to fruiting for such seedlings.
“There wasn't a budget to launch the project all at once, so we did everything gradually. First, we bought a small number of bushes, a small used tractor, didn't immediately hire temporary workers, and did everything ourselves, investing the earned money back into the farm's development. That's how we also got a cherry orchard and honey production. And now, after eight years of work in the field, only for the last two years have we been able to put something aside,” Yuri recounts.
Does a farmer ever get a vacation?
Blueberries are not a very demanding crop in terms of care. The main thing is to avoid late frosts in May: when the bush starts to grow and blossom, and the weather suddenly turns cold.
The soil for seedlings should be acidic, and in summer heat, it's important to water the bush. For this, for example, the farm field has an automatic drip irrigation system installed.
Typically, the berry bears fruit for about a month: from early July to early August. From one bush of a variety like 'Bluecrop,' with good care, you can get about three to four kilograms of berries. Moreover, the bush will provide a harvest for 30-40 years.
“Blueberry care consists of many aspects: watering, weeding, pruning, fertilizing... And these tasks last throughout the year: as soon as we harvest, we start preparing the bushes for winter. Our vacation is in December, when the snow is knee-deep and we simply can't get here,” Yuri notes.
Despite the berry self-picking being three days a week, during the season the farm manager comes to the field every day. He needs to monitor order — check if the irrigation is working, remove broken branches from the bushes, and also feed his loyal friend — the ginger dog Dobby.
Two years ago, Yuri found him near the field, and so the dog stayed with him.
In summer, Dobby lives on the farm's territory and protects it from raids by hares that damage the bushes; in the cold season, the dog is taken to live in the house.
“Work in the field is hard: for example, today we came here at 5 AM and will leave around 11 PM. When we started growing blueberries, the main opponents were my parents, who were born in a village and know firsthand what agricultural labor is like. They said: 'Yura, what are you getting into? It's a lot of land, it's difficult.' But despite some contradictions, the work took off. Today, I am 90% happy with the choice I made when I entered the agricultural sector. And the other 10% are unforeseen difficulties, such as weather, which sometimes throw us off course,” says the farmer.
The interviewee is confident that Belarus has enough blueberries not to import them from abroad, even in the off-season.
“Local farmers can fully feed everyone with this berry. And in my opinion, it's better to eat your fill in summer and freeze it for winter, so as not to buy imported ones. Belarusian berries are natural, tested, with all certificates, and can be eaten by both children and adults.”
Who comes for self-picking?
On average, about 200 people participate in blueberry self-picking per day, but the number of pickers depends on the weather. Today, among them is the Kurylenok family from Brest. School teacher Yuri Viktorovich and pharmacist Alina Vladimirovna came with their five-year-old granddaughter Polina. They are convinced that self-picking is an excellent solution, also in terms of saving money, as the market price for this berry can be twice as high.
“Last week, a neighbor came to us and brought our granddaughter a cup of blueberries. We asked where she got such splendid berries, and that's how we learned about this place,” explains Yuri Viktorovich.
The interviewees plan to freeze part of the harvested blueberries to eat with syrniki (cheese pancakes), porridge, and pancakes in winter.
Yuri Viktorovich
In the field, we meet forklift driver Alexander Vasilyevich Trukhan from Brest. On his day off, he came to pick berries for his grandchildren: a five-liter bucket for each.
“The blueberries are delicious, the price is adequate. I've been coming here for about five years, several times per season,” he says.
Pensioner Valentina Konstantinovna Pilyutik came for self-picking with her daughter, two granddaughters, and grandson.
“It's more interesting to pick ourselves, and it's more fun for the children to spend time this way,” she says.
Despite the berry being in demand, the farm does not plan to increase the area for it.
“We want our glade to remain truly homely and family-oriented and not turn into a harsh business,” explains Yuri Kolyada.
What is most important in life?
Approximately every ten minutes, Yuri's phone rings: people ask how to get to the field, if there's self-picking today, and how much the berries cost. Among these calls, there are also unusual ones. For example, during our meeting with him, representatives of one of the branches of the Russian Geographical Society got in touch. They are currently vacationing in Belarus and want to visit the farm.
Yuri, however, is always open to new professional acquaintances.
Sport helps our interviewee stay in shape and cope with stress. Yuri runs and is fond of trekking, having climbed the peaks of Kazbek, Elbrus, and Mont Blanc. He says life has taught him several important truths: always be honest, love people, care for your parents, and have a philosophical attitude towards money.
“In life, it's very important to find a calling that you love. Happiness is not in money, but in daily contentment. Yes, being without money is very bad, but there are many rich and unhappy people in the world,” he tells us goodbye.
The ginger dog Dobby rubs against Yuri's leg, and the farmer greets new guests who have come for blueberry self-picking with a smile.