Passing the baton of knowledge and opportunity

A group of tourists arrive at the Pešić household, looking around curiously and asking about lunch options near Tomaševo, a small village of about 300 inhabitants in northeastern Montenegro. A region known for its mountainous terrain and scenic landscapes, agritourism is just starting to take shape, mostly from other Europeans looking to experience the charm and peace of rural life.

Vučko Pešić explains what his family has on offer – local, homemade cheese of various types, sausages and cold cuts, freshly baked bread, homemade honey and vegetables straight from their garden. The tourists look visibly relieved: not only will they eat, but they will eat well. The Pešić family serves simple, traditional food, the same as they have for their own family. Their hospitality is evident, and the group decides to take their offer and stay.

But beyond opening his home for agritourism, dairy farmer Vučko Pešić is also inspiring and motivating other farmers in this hidden corner of the country as a Farmer Field School facilitator, trained as part of a project by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Yet, his life once looked very different. Vučko only came to farming in his early 30s. He, his wife Milijanka and their children were living in the centre of nearby city, Bijelo Polje, and he supported them by working at a gas station.

His parents kept a small farm with two dairy cows – typical for the area and just enough for their needs. When he lost his job and his father passed away, Vučko began thinking about taking over the farm.

“At the beginning, I didn’t know anything!” Vučko recalls. He and his wife had to learn everything from scratch: how to care for animals, how to feed them and how to process the milk.

Vučko’s mother used to make a special traditional cheese and passed the knowledge on to Milijanka. That skill, handed down from generation to generation, opened new doors for the family, selling fresh, homemade and local food for visitors to the area.

White gold

Milijanka quickly mastered cheese-making from her mother-in-law and began producing enough to sell at the local market. Her cheeses became sought-after, and demand grew, which allowed them to increase their number of cows. She now runs a small cheese production facility on the family farm, using milk from their own cows.

Cheese, mostly fresh cheeses, have been staple of the Balkan diet for centuries. Made from sheep’s or cow’s milk, Montenegrin cheeses can be served as appetizers, salad toppings or centrepieces of hearty meals.

Among Milijanka’s creations are a rolled cheese filled with sour cream and vraneski lisnati—a unique white cheese with thin, layered sheets and a distinct milky-sour aroma and taste. Its name comes from its texture, which means "in sheets."

As their products made their way into local hotels, Vučko expanded their herd, and the business grew hand-in-hand with the farm.

Today, the family owns 40 cows, 30 beehives for honey production, and several pigs and piglets. Their eight adult children and their own families are fully involved – feeding animals, milking, cheese-making, gardening and preparing silage.

“We are active all day, without exception,” Vučko says proudly.

The power of many

Vučko has always believed in collective effort founded a farmers' collective after his passing.

“Together we improved our level of mechanization,” says Vučko.

Silage production is essential for feeding livestock year-round. Efficient production and good quality are critical and often a challenge, considering Montenegro’s high-altitude, mountainous areas where yields are low.

When Vučko’s first encountered FAO in 2007, it became a turning point. He learned improved methods for silage making.

“FAO brought in the best experts, with whom I maintained contact throughout years and even now, if I have a question, I reach out to them.”

FAO’s Farmer Field School has helped Montenegro’s cattle farmers improve farming conditions, adopt better hygiene and storage for milk, and enhance feeding systems. 

As a trained farmer field school facilitator, Vučko learned about better and proper techniques for milk processing and how to help farmers engage with new ideas. “I’m ready to adopt any technology that improves production or animal health,” he says. “Other farmers didn’t always think that way. But now, they’re more open, more curious, more involved.”

Vučko helps lead group meetings where farmers identify shared problems and agree on changes in their farm management practices they’re willing to make. When new ideas are shown to work in real life, others follow along.

Facilitators like Vučko are key to sustaining the progress – ensuring that knowledge continues to spread, even beyond FAO’s involvement.

Today, Vučko and Milijanka stand on solid ground with their farm and business thriving. Their journey offers a roadmap for others, and their involvement in field schools are helping others do the same.

More:

Learn more

• News: Dairy farmers in Montenegro take ownership of local development
• Website: Global Farmer Field School Platform
• Story: Keeping Montenegro’s flavours alive
• News: Sowing the seeds of change: Montenegro modernizes smallholder feed production one experiment at a time