Natia Ghurtskaia has been combining her work in a kindergarten with livestock farming in the Kakhati village of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region in Georgia. In 2020, she got involved as a Lead Farmer of a Farmer Field School established as part of a project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by FAO, in partnership with UN Women. 

 “I have been producing cheese for a long time, and getting little money from it” says Natia, “after getting involved in the FAO project, I have gained more income from selling the cheese I produce, and this is why I decided to expand my production.”

The Farmer Field School is a farmer-to-farmer training methodology that was created by FAO. It facilitates the transfer of best practices through Lead Farmers. They learn first from FAO experts, and, afterwards, share their knowledge with their peers from the local communities.

As part of the project, the curriculum of the Farmer Field Schools was focused on the production of cheese and dairy products by smallholder women farmers.

As a result of the training series implemented by FAO, Natia acquired in-depth knowledge about the best practices in dairy production and livestock management, livestock nutrition and animal welfare. Farmers like Natia learned to produce other types of higher-value cheeses, that they could store for longer and sell whenever they needed. As a result of the project, the farmers involved in the project increased the lactation of their cows. Their income from selling dairy goods increased by 67 per cent. The project also supported Natia and many other women in selling their products to new clients who appreciate a locally produced and high-quality goods.

It had a very significant impact in food safety, nutrition and food security of many families. The project taught the best practices of hygiene and food safety, making the dairy products adhere to international and European standards.

Coupled to this work from FAO, UN Women was also training the same women farmers in areas related to gender equality, leadership, and business skills.

Finally, this project was also a means for Natia to get acquainted with many women colleagues, developing strong linkages with them.

“With this project,” Natia says, “I rediscovered myself.”

Today, Natia’s farm is aligned with modern standards. Her cows are being fed with more nutritious feed, which significantly increase their productivity. With the milk produced in the farm, Natia then makes new types of aged and fresh cheeses to sell them by partnering with the private sector, and among her ever-growing customer base in Georgia.

“I changed everything in my work,” Natia points out, “from veterinary aspects and the best farming practices to bringing my products to the table.”

Everything Starts with Healthy Animals

“Animal’s health and wellbeing directly impacts the quantity of the primary agricultural goods,” says Natia. “The vitamins, medication, smart deworming practices, are all very important in making sure that the consumers’ health is not harmed from consuming dairy products, and this is why I use all of it in my farm.

„The vitamins and feed, which the project initially provided us with,” Natia remembers, “has turned out to be very impactful, and now we continue purchasing and utilizing them with our own resources. The antiparasitic medicines, which FAO gave us to give to our animals seasonally, was also resultful and we continue using it routinely, twice per year.”

With the knowledge gained and through consultations with the FAO team, Natia has also developed her farm infrastructure. “We used to have a wooden surface in our farm, which is not good for animals – it is a source of contamination and humidity,” Natia says, “now we have a concrete floor in the farm, along with the installed cleaning equipment that we use on a daily basis to clean the facility.”

The demonstration plot of fodder crops, which has been established on Natia’s land has also been successful. “We sowed these cultures in Spring,” Natia recalls, “our animals were quite thin after the Winter season and, after consuming the fodder crops for a month, we saw considerable results in terms of daily milk production, as well as increased weight of our livestock.”

From Farm to Production

With the milk produced in the farm that is now aligned with modern standards, Natia makes 15 cheese varieties, utilizing the knowledge and production equipment provided to her by FAO.

“I started taking part in the project with all my heart,” Natia points out, “and the technology and taste of the new types of cheese have sparked interest in me. In the beginning, I learned about the Italian semi-hard cheese Calciota, while, afterwards, I got to know about cheese for grilling, cheese with coal, Halloumi, Tomi, Kaskhaval, Camembert, and other types of cheeses.”

Simultaneously, Natia never stopped producing the traditional Sulguni and Imeretian cheese.

“I put my heart and soul in my cheese,” she says, “cheese - its taste and appearance, is art to me and it goes beyond the routine procedure of making dairy goods.”

From Production to Market

“Beyond learning about cheese production,” Natia indicates, “we have been supported in many ways in becoming more visible – we took part in many commercial exhibitions and established new connections with the HoReCa representatives and niche shops.” 

Natia is one of the outstanding participants of the Unique Georgian Taste agromarkets, which is organized by FAO under the European Union (EU) and Sweden-funded ENPARD IV. By taking part in these events, she is connecting with her customers from different Georgian cities.

“I always run out from my products after the agromarkets – it all gets sold out during these events,” Natia points out happily, “while there, I ask the customers about what types tastes they like to then offer them cheeses that I assume they would prefer.” She thinks that the training opportunities that the FAO project offered her to develop her customer relations skills were especially useful in this regard.

The tasting events and other types of meetings with the private sector were also impactful for Natia. “We were connected with many representatives of the HoReCa sector, as well as cheese and wine shops,” Natia says, “this is how, through agromarkets and newly established business connections, the project has given me the possibility to have more visibility. Us, the project participants, had the luxury of having as many people hear about us, as possible.”

As a result of the agromarkets and the meetings with the private sector representatives, the demand on Natia’s cheese has increased to the point that she has to buy raw milk from her neighbours to make more cheese.

Empowered Community of Women Farmers

Natia is especially proud of the new relationships with women farmers, which she has gained by taking part in the project. They support each other by sharing experiences and asking for advice about animal care, as well as dairy production.

“I met many dairy women farmers,” Natia points out, “working with them has helped me grow professionally – we share experiences with each other, collaborate and, simultaneously, deepen our friendships.”

“Moreover, when I take part in agricultural festivals, I have to leave my dairy farm,” Natia says, “I do not have a woman in my family who would take care of it, however, I do have a community of women dairy farmers – they support me out of good will and take care of my farm. When I travel to the agromarkets, I leave my farm to them.”

“When I have to travel to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, I sometimes do not have a place to stay,” Natia says, “I stay in the homes of the women farmers who I met while taking part in the project and we have a great time together too.”

Future Plans

“I am fighting with a vision,” Natia points out, “I have to realize this vision.”

She recently finalized the construction of a cheese storage facility in her front yard, where she is planning to also create a small production space. The City Hall of Zugdidi supported her in developing the facility. The representatives of the state institution first met Natia and tasted her products at an event organized by FAO, laying the foundation for the partnership.

The production equipment provided by FAO through the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation will be especially useful for Natia when developing the facility.

“I will be able to develop a small production space where I will hold masterclasses and host tourists,” Natia says, “I will have my own space for aging cheese and will not be limited in how much cheese I can produce. Now, I am not able to make cheese in large quantities because I do not have a place for storing them and I will be able to solve this challenge with the storage facility.”

About the Project

Funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by FAO in partnership with the UN Women, the four-year project started in 2020 and finished in 2024. With a budget of 3,2 Million US Dollars, 30 Farmer Field Schools were created in eight municipalities of the Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti region. In this format, more than 600 women farmers learned about the best milk and dairy production practices, women’s rights, gender equality issues, business management principles, and customer relations. Most of the women farmers received animal care products, as well as agricultural equipment and tools. Many of them started producing innovative cheese varieties commercially.