GOOD PRACTICES
Women Entrepreneurs of Rural Areas – FINALISTS OF THE COMPETITION “WAY TO SUCCESS”
Women Entrepreneurs of Rural Areas – FINALISTS OF THE COMPETITION “WAY TO SUCCESS” organized by the Agricultural Advisory Center in Brwinów
The main idea of the competition “Way to Success” is to promote and popularize entrepreneurship in rural areas and the effective use of financial resources obtained under the Rural Development Program and other European Funds.
As in previous years, the Honorary Patronage over the competition was assumed by the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Andrzej Duda.
source: https://www.cdr.gov.pl/85-nasze-dzialania/konkursy/sposob-na-sukces
1. Mrs. Daria Kosińska ( minute in the movie 14:12 – 15:33)
Homemade cheese processing business
Daria Kosińska produces natural, handmade cheeses using only milk from a farm run entirely by her parents in a small village in Poland – Siedlnica. Her products are made with traditional, regional recipes and her enterprise stands out even more for being the only place in Poland to produce burrata cheese.
2. Mrs. Małgorzata Pucer ( minute in the movie 17:57 – 19:15)
An innovative ecological education center
Małgorzata Pucer and her husband are founders of the Pasieka Pucer beekeeping farm and an innovative educational center for kids and adults – “Pszczelandia”, located in a tiny village in Poland – Pastwiska. Its goal is to promote ecological values and environmental protection through innovative, sensory-based learning experiences.
3. Mrs. Ilona Michalak ( minute in the movie 22:22 – 23:55)
Rural businesswoman reviving traditional cheesemaking
Ilona Michalak owns a small dairy business located in a tiny village in Poland – Kuchary Borowe, where she produces unpasteurized cheeses made from milk from her own cows. All of the products offered in her Serownia are handcrafted using traditional family methods and locally sourced ingredients. She also manages marketing and directs the sales process by herself.
4. Mrs.Joanna Posoch ( minute in the movie 42:23 – 44:47)
Cultivating sustainability in rural areas
Joanna Posoch runs the agritourism farm “Lawendowe Pole” in a small village in Poland – Nowe Kawkowo. Her guests can take part in workshops, lectures and events focused on sustainable farming, herbalism and the different uses of lavender in the Lawendowe Museum Żywe, which she founded and is developing all the time.
5. Mr. and Mrs Ewa i Grzegorz Wróblewski ( minute in the movie 47:47 – 49:37)
Turning waste into energy
Ewa and Grzegorz Wróblewscy built a biogas plant on their farm in Dąbrowskie. It uses slurry to generate renewable energy, which makes their farm fully self-sufficient and energy-independent. The excess energy is sold to the national power grid (PGE).
6. Pani Elżbieta Warcholak (35:27 – 38:36)
Beekeeping business spreading knowledge regionally
Elżbieta Warcholak with her husband runs an ecological beekeeping farm in the Mielec region in Poland, also founding the foundation “Popieram życie miodem słodzone” (“I support life sweetened with honey”). Their bees create various products, processed and sold locally, supporting the regional economy. The foundation focuses on educating the public about bees and promoting innovative beehive therapy, while also contributing to strengthening local community ties.
items 1 – 5: source: Brwinów Agricultural Advisory Center, Final Gala of the 23rd edition of the national competition “Way to Success”, YouTube, 10/10/2023, [online], accessed: 24/04/2025:
Position 6: source: Brwinów Agricultural Advisory Center, Final Gala of the 24th edition of the national competition “Way to Success”, YouTube, 15/10/2024, [online], accessed: 24/04/2025:
Inspiration – inspiring women in the areas covered by our project – EU Digital AGRO-WomENtrepreneurs
Inspiration – inspiring women in the areas covered by our project:
A few interesting and inspiring women from the links:
1) Female initiator – Wioletta Wilkos https://agronomist.pl/artykuly/kobieta-inicjatorka-wioletta-wilkos
“President of the Local Action Group of the Kraśnik Land and the Zamojskie Winiarnie Foundation, councilor of the city of Kraśnik, and above all a person who activates rural women from all over Poland. For over a dozen years – Wioletta Wilkos – through her activities has been making the number of projects implemented by women in rural areas increase, as well as the number of businesses established by women.”
2) Sales and social media specialist – Angelika Chimkowska https://widoczni.com/blog/kobiety-marketingu-i-biznesu/ 7th place
https://chimkowska.com/
“Social Selling and Strong Brand Strategist. Specializes in creating effective communication and sales using social media (especially Linkedin). Listed by Forbes in 5th place among 25 Polish Linkedin champions in 2021. Author of the books: “Psychology of change in life and business”, “Strong Brand on Linkedin, or social selling in practice”. Her latest book “Authentic personal branding, or strong personal brand in practice” was published on 13.05.22. Speaker at prestigious conferences, including Puls Biznesu or the European Economic Forum, Social Media Week or I Love Marketing, the Małopolska Innovation Festival.”
3) Business and local entrepreneurship mentor – Sylwia Chrabałowska
https://widoczni.com/blog/kobiety-marketingu-i-biznesu/ place 14.
https://mockobiet.eu/
“Expert of the publishing market, author of professional courses and business mentor. Associated with media and publishing houses since 1998. Founded the Moc Media publishing house, believing in combining old media with new and business with ethics. Associated with PIK and PTWK. Established the Moc Kobiet Foundation to support women’s professional development and local entrepreneurship. PhD student at the College of Management and Finance of the Warsaw School of Economics. Her scientific interests include: strategic management, corporate social responsibility and conducting dialogue with stakeholders.”
4) Enterprising cheese maker – Magdalena Lewandowska
https://agronomist.pl/artykuly/magda-przedsiebiorcza-serowarka-z-pasja
“Magdalena Lewandowska unexpectedly became a sheep breeder and a full-time cheese maker for herself. In the northern part of Mazovia, she runs a family cheese factory – Śródborska Manufaktura Serów. She also became vice-president of the Association of Farm and Farm Cheese Makers. Apart from producing cheese, she runs workshops and successfully attracts gourmets to the countryside.”
https://www.farmer.pl/fakty/jakie-sa-kobiety-w-polskim-rolnictwie-wyniki-unikatowego-badania,155631.html?mp=promo here is also very interesting data from research on women in Polish agriculture – I don’t know if it will be useful, but there is data such as the professional situation or equal rights
Film prepared by Zofia Zamenhof Foundation about the project website shared on social media – EU Digital AGRO-WomENtrepreneurs
BEST PRACTISES BOOKLET – EU Digital AGRO-WomENtrepreneurs
About the project and project meetings – EU Digital AGRO-WomENtrepreneurs
Digital marketing training with the Women’s Rural Association in Drobin, Poland, July 12 2024
The Zofia Zamenhof Foundation had the pleasure of hosting a meeting with the Women’s Rural Association from Drobin as part of the Agro Women project. During this session, we focused on the use of social media as a tool for promoting small businesses. The discussion was fruitful, and we concluded with a thoughtful exchange of ideas among participants.
Organic farming local trainings in Kastamonu, Turkey, May 13 2024
Project meeting in Esthal, Germany on January 22-24 2024
Project meeting in Warsaw , Poland on May 31 – June 1, 2024
Leaflets and materials prepared by a project partner from Turkey – Akademi Kültür Ve E eğitim Derneği
