In the words of entrepreneur Nina Smyrnova: ‘Take the leap and keep moving forward. Any setback is still progress because it's a step you’ve taken and learned from’

In the south of the Kyiv region, spanning 25 hectares, lies the farm eco-estate ‘NATS'N'GARDEN’ where organic hazelnuts and asparagus are cultivated with great care for the environment. The estate's founder, Nina Smyrnova, has developed a project that blends ecological awareness with cutting-edge agricultural practices, offering a sustainable approach to modern farming. About the challenges and successes of an agricultural business — read in the story of Nina Smyrnova.

‘I worked in the corporate sector, focusing on marketing, customer service, and analytics, but I wanted to ground myself. When I learned about organic greenhouses, it sparked my interest. For three years, I studied various agricultural crops, horticulture, and vegetable farming, attended conferences and workshops, and visited farms that welcomed guests. This eventually led to the creation of a project where we grow organic hazelnuts and asparagus. The project is now four years old, but from the initial idea of entering the agricultural sector to achieving today's results, it has been a seven-year journey.

We selected hazelnuts as our primary crop. In total, approximately 12,000 trees have been planted on our farm.  While waiting for the hazelnut harvest, our second crop—asparagus — provides us with working capital, we cultivate approximately 25,000 plants. Our primary customers have been businesses that incorporate hazelnuts into their products. Additionally, we sold hazelnuts through social media, restaurants, small shops, and markets. As for asparagus, next year we plan to leverage all sales channels: working directly with processing enterprises without intermediaries, as well as collaborating with retail chains and the HoReCa sector (HoReCa stands for Hotel, Restaurant, and Cafe/Catering—Editor’s note).

We practice organic farming and incorporate some biodynamic methods. This includes using preparations made from plant and animal materials as well as minerals. All agronomic operations are carefully aligned with lunar and solar cycles. For us, an eco-approach means no harm, preservation, and restoration by applying ecological principles to the land, people, and the environment. To meet the needs of the farm, we use solar panels and wind power.

We won a grant for business development from NGO ‘Rural Women Business Network’, UN Women Ukraine and The United Nations Women’s Piece and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). It was my second experience collaborating with them. Part of the equipment we currently have was purchased through co-financing with them. This year, we received a grant from UN Women Ukraine and the WPHF fund to purchase a cold storage unit. This equipment has enabled us to fully process asparagus, cool it before selling, and extend its shelf life. We now also use the unit to store hazelnuts. Beyond the equipment and the grant itself, there’s another equally important aspect — legal, accounting, and advisory support. These have been incredibly helpful tools, and I am deeply grateful for them.

Our goal is to build a small processing plant. On one hand, this will address the issue of employment — it’s important for us to provide jobs for members of the local community so they don’t have to travel to distant regions for work and can stay with their families. On the other hand, we want to offer more intellectually engaging work that isn’t overly physically demanding. We aim to mechanize certain processes to reduce the physical burden.

My next goal is to have our hazelnuts and asparagus prominently featured in major retail chains as organic products, making them much more accessible to end consumers. To engage in export activities, we need to ensure consistent batch stability, which requires partnering with other producers in Ukraine — a process we are actively working on.

My first piece of advice for entrepreneurs is to take the leap and keep moving forward. Any setback is still progress because it's a step you’ve taken and learned from. Secondly, take the time to master planning and deeply understand the market or environment you’re entering. Lastly, reach out to communities and connect with peers. You might be pleasantly surprised by how open and supportive people can be!’

Read the full story: https://www.shemade.marieclaire.ua/en/portfolio/nina-smyrnova-eco-farmstead-natsngarden/

The project 'She Made: discovery & recovery of Ukraine' was created by Marie Claire Business Ukraine and UN Women Ukraine funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). WPHF mobilizes critical support for local and grassroots civil society organizations working on women, peace and security and humanitarian action. WPHF is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism supporting quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities.

This publication is produced with funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), however, the views expressed and content included does not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

Photos: UN Women Ukraine/Nadiia Berska