Katja Temnik
Innovator
Zeliščni vrt Majnika
Slovenia
Environmental
Farming
Rural village
The innovation journey
The organic-biodynamic farm Majnika in Žiče near Slovenske Konjice is run by former professional basketball player Katja Temnik, who, after finishing her sporting career, became enthusiastic about Rudolf Steiner’s anthroposophy, from which biodynamics is derived, and started farming.
Katja’s mother, who grew biodynamic herbs and sprouts as an amateur, is her inspiration, source of knowledge and most important support in her work. Katja turned her mother’s hobby into a successful business story. As a professional sportswoman, she was aware of the importance of healthy food, but she also believed that a holistic understanding of how nature works and the life processes that take place within it was necessary. Therefore, organic and then biodynamic farming was the only logical approach for her.
They started production on less than 1 ha of rented farmland. As demand grew, they bought another 5 hectares of farmland nearby. The main products are herbal salt, sprouts and herbal teas. Hydrolates are also produced and there is a growing demand for products to support healing. They use 95% of their own raw materials for production.
The innovation impact
The Majnika farm, where Katja, Katja’s mother and her brother are joined by two employees and occasional seasonal workers, runs educational activities (herb garden tours, science days for schools, farm visits for children with special needs and other vulnerable groups). Katja has always publicly spoken about her environmentally and socially responsible farming practices. She has received numerous awards for her work (Prize for Innovative Young Women Farmers, Agrobiznis Prize from the Finance newspaper). As a newcomer in agriculture, she contributes to a different understanding of the role of agriculture in Slovenia and encourages many other women to develop their own small, non-traditional farming stories. Together with her mother, she passes on her extensive knowledge of herbs, sprouts and biodynamic agriculture in various lectures to hobby and professional farmers.