Kozard Apple Valley Rural Development: The Beginning: 1998 Building local farms:

Implementation of Implementation of Integrated Rural Integrated Rural

Development in Organic Development in Organic Interaction with LEADER Interaction with LEADER

Programme in North Programme in North HungaryHungary

„„Adult Education for Rural Development – Inspirations from Adult Education for Rural Development – Inspirations from Europe”Europe”

(Rural Leaders Autumn Workshop)(Rural Leaders Autumn Workshop)

Starbienino, Poland, 08. 11.2009Starbienino, Poland, 08. 11.2009

Dr. Pal Hajas (Euragro, Hungary) Dr. Pal Hajas (Euragro, Hungary)

Kozard Apple Valley Rural Kozard Apple Valley Rural Development:Development:

• The Beginning: 1998The Beginning: 1998

• Building local farms:Building local farms:

• 1999-2001: Apricots, plum, 1999-2001: Apricots, plum, almond, black currant almond, black currant plantationplantation

• 2001-2006: Apple, pear, 2001-2006: Apple, pear, cherry plantationcherry plantation


• Continuation: 2001-Continuation: 2001-20072007

• Professional production, Professional production, precise plant protectionprecise plant protection

• Establishment of a fruit Establishment of a fruit cold storage cold storage

• Corporate/joint Corporate/joint marketingmarketing


• Logo, trade mark for the region and for the Logo, trade mark for the region and for the primary productprimary product

Kozardi Apple Valley Rural Kozardi Apple Valley Rural Development:Development:

• Continuation: 2001-Continuation: 2001-20072007

• Water harvesting/drip Water harvesting/drip irrigation – fishing…irrigation – fishing…

• Local fruit processing Local fruit processing (real jams, palinka (real jams, palinka distillery, fruit drying)distillery, fruit drying)


• Integration with AgroTourism: 2002-Integration with AgroTourism: 2002-2007 2007

• Festivals in the Kozard Apple Festivals in the Kozard Apple Valley (15,000 visitors annually)Valley (15,000 visitors annually)

• Apple Flower FestivalApple Flower Festival

• Apricot FestivalApricot Festival

• Hungarian Flavours – Hungarian Hungarian Flavours – Hungarian Colours Gastronomy and Fruit Colours Gastronomy and Fruit FestivalFestival


• Contact with Rural Contact with Rural Development Cycle: 2004-Development Cycle: 2004-20072007

• Euragro RD Office (Innovation, Euragro RD Office (Innovation, National „Baross” project)National „Baross” project)

• The encouraging role of Kozard The encouraging role of Kozard MunicipalityMunicipality

• Participation in the EU LEADER: Participation in the EU LEADER: Local products programmeLocal products programme


• Past-Present-Future: 2009---???Past-Present-Future: 2009---???

• Plantation correctionPlantation correction

• Drastic signals of the climate Drastic signals of the climate change (early and very late hail change (early and very late hail storms, frost damage) – possible storms, frost damage) – possible solutionssolutions

• Hail protection net and frost Hail protection net and frost protection irrigationprotection irrigation

• Completion of cold storageCompletion of cold storage

Kozardi Apple Valle Rural Kozardi Apple Valle Rural Development:Development:

• Past-Present-Future: Past-Present-Future: 2009---???2009---???

• More machinery to replace More machinery to replace diminishing labour force! – Serious diminishing labour force! – Serious social issuesocial issue

• Reinforced area marketing Reinforced area marketing essentialessential

• More emphasis on local processing More emphasis on local processing (natural juice, drying)(natural juice, drying)

• Searching for new finance, Searching for new finance, investorsinvestors

Regional ProjectRegional ProjectROP 3.1.3 (Regional Operational ROP 3.1.3 (Regional Operational Program)Program)

•To improve the regional human To improve the regional human potentialpotential

•To improve the regional To improve the regional economy, civil and public economy, civil and public integrationintegration

•To prepare strategy for new To prepare strategy for new integrated development projectsintegrated development projects

Community Inspired Rural Development

Development in Development in Kozard MunicipalityKozard Municipality

•Small community (180 Small community (180 people) – Grand visionpeople) – Grand vision

•Systematic approachSystematic approach

•Merging local and EU Merging local and EU resourcesresources

Reményteljes Falumegújítás

2002-2008

Where we are?

In the South Cserhát

Opposite to Mátra Hills

Budapest 80 km

Salgótarján 40 km

Hatvan 30 km

Pásztó 12 km

Hollókő 12 km


2002-2008

Pásztó Micro Region

Nógrád county


2002-2008

Six years - 36 project appl.

22 projects

1 Billion Ft dev.

600 Million Ft project funds


2002-2008

Our aims:Development of local economy

Community cohesion

Preservation of culture and tradition

Formation of future strat.


2002-2008


Problems:•Aeging population

•Declining population

•Wornt-off infrastructures

•Environmental problems

•Low level subsidies

•Financial constraints


Dilemmas: •Only pleasant, healthy population and

•functioning settlement/village can create good living space for young generation

•Important: arrange right ranking of tasks (social, cultural ranks)?


Discoveries:•For strengthening community cohesion you need special infrastructures, which are

•Accepted by the population,

•They are proud of them,

•They show them to friends, relatives with pleasure,

•Receive visitor with goodwill.


Our steps:•Community opinion survey

•Architecture and artist-friends mobilisation

•Prepare village development plan

•Preparation of projects

•Launching project applications

•Searching for financial resources


Supporting environment:•Empowering local agricultural enterprises

•Euragro Rural Development Project Office

•South-Cserhát LEADER+ community (15 vill.)

•2007-2013 Rural development and LEADER LAG (26 community)

•Cserhát Regional „Palóc” Tourism Cluster

•Partnership in transnational projects


Results:•Slow down of negative demographic trends: stop migration, boost inhabitants

•Attract new settlers to come in the village,

•Generate new employment opportunities in local agriculture farms and fruit orchards: Kozard „imports” work force from surrounding villages and rural towns.

•Unemployment ended

•European Good Practice developed


Our Answers:Sewage canalisation and purification plant.

Cultural and spiritual village community centre: (new church, conference, gallery and theatre, bell tower, look-out terrace, statue park), market place, chidrens’ playground, open theatre stage, festival ground

New bridges, guesthouses, restaurants

Newly paved streets, bus-stops buildings.


Our Results:•Creation of a nice, attractive village centre

•Since 2003: Kozard festivals, cultural programs (10,000-15,000 visitors annually).

•Dynamic communication (hundreds of media appearances): Kozard is known by the region, in Hungary and in Europe

•Since 2006: seven international conference choosed Kozard for location.

•Regional winner in National Dev. Plan


Our Visitors:•Since 2003: Six Ministerial visits, (South Africa, Denmark, Sweden, Catalonia, France, Thailand)

•Mayors and Civil Groups from Italy, Sweden, Poland, Transsylvania/Romania, Netherland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia

•Since 2006: national events organized.

•16 European LEADER delegations

•University and High School students


Our Participations:•Travel fairs, Agri-Expos, LEADER EXPO, Budapest Tourism and Rural Festivals

•Regional and international conferences

•Svedish Village Rehabilitation Forum, „Flavours of Europe” - Rome-Italy, Spanish Food Exhibition, „Terra Madre” Forum in Torino, Italy

•European Tourism and Eurocitizen: (Italy, France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium.)


Transfer of good practices:• Local meetings, presentations

• National and international conferences, trainings

• Printed and electronic media, TV, radio, local tourism publications

• Internet portals:

•www.kozard.hu * www.euragro.hu * www.zoldpiheno.hu * www.agroservice.hu * www.cserhatalja.eu

http://www.kozard.hu/

http://www.euragro.hu/

http://www.zoldpiheno.hu/

http://www.agroservice.hu/

http://www.cserhatalja.eu/


New steps:•Palóc Gallery – Touristic Information Point, Local products and Souvenir sales,

•New EU-funded „village image” improvement projects: create better „touristic look”

•New centre for micro-regional services

•Renovation of feather roads, village pavements

•Turistic projects (Mária pilgrimage trail: Bosnia, Medugorje – Czestochowa, Poland)

•Regional Innovation/ Economic Dev. Centre

•Alternative energy project preparation


Difficulties:• Extremely slow release of project subsidies by the Paying Agency

• Deterioration in the supporting economic environment – struggle against corruption

• Negative impact of the economic crisis

• Slow down of community activities

• Need for alternative plans

• Reinforcing trust and hope

Thank you – Arrivederci - Au revoir

Documents

Kozard Apple Valley Rural Development: The Beginning: 1998 Building local farms: