Innovative, Agricultural, Multifunctional Farm “Mylanthos”
Using a lot of passion and great willpower we have reached the demanding standards that characterize the many functions and innovations of a farm.
Our wish is the correctly integrated operation using sensitive environmental actions, while respecting the land and its history, and the important contribution to the sustainable development of a wider region that starts from Kiato and ends at Xylokastro.
By turning the professional into a personal and moral duty, we have tried and continue to try to consciously promote the value of agriculture, culture, hospitality, traditional gastronomy and sensitivity to the environment in a place that we grew to love.
What exactly is “Mylanthos”?
“Mylanthos” is an area of agricultural exploitation that consists of:
1) A cultivated single area of approximately 30 acres
2) A herbal capital composed of citrus varieties
3) Free spaces for experimentation and development
4) Integrated standard manufacturing unit with the necessary storage facilities
5) High-Quality Quality Lab
6) Refrigerated Chambers for maintenance of up to 40 tons of fresh products
7) Small workshop for simple repairs – machine maintenance
8) Projection & training room able to hospitalize up to 10 people
Combining all the above mentioned materials, as well as many intangible procedures, “Mylanthos” can be rightly characterized as…
Α) An agricultural farm, as it is involved in the agricultural activity of citrus growing, olive trees and seasonal vegetables.
B) An innovative farm, since it applies innovative practices, i.e. with regard to the collection of vegetables, ripening point control techniques, but also innovations in manufacturing activity.
C) An environmental farm, since it has integrated environmentally friendly actions in the collection and exploitation of irrigation water, but also in preserving the biodiversity within its limits.
D) A gastronomic farm, since the main concern is to preserve traditional recipes with an emphasis mainly on traditional Mediterranean pastry.
Therefore, the combination of all the above individually or collectively characterizes the “Mylanthos” as:
MULTIFUNCTIONAL, INNOVATIVE, EXAMPLERY FARM
Agricultural Activity Method
The extent of agricultural activity is unified and has an area of approximately 30 acres. Within its limits there are perennial lemon trees (varieties of i-dertonate, karystino, magdalene, santa tereza and Adamopoulou), orange trees (Merlin, Sagouni, Navalina, juicing), sunflowers, grapefruit, pear, pomegranates (Hermione), loquat trees, walnuts and lotus trees. Also, olive trees (varieties of patrini, manaki, and koroneiki). Finally, aromatic plants on rocks for soil retention in case of heavy rainfall.
The orientation of this site is southeast and its microclimate is ideal for production conditions almost all year round.
The southeastern border of the estate is a natural stream, and there is also a network of cement channels.
The estate is sprawling with an extensive hydraulic network with drip pipes in each tree. The nozzles are selected to irrigate a quantity according to the needs of the tree variety.
Apart from the Community irrigation, there is also a private independent way of irrigation, which consists of a supplementary irrigation network, a 15HP electric pump station, drilling and a reservoir with storage capacity of 500 cubic meters of water.
Due to the size of this area there is a 2-axle internal road network for easy access to all its premises by car when harvesting citrus fruits or olives. Carriages help easy loading and accessing the toughest points.
In a neighboring area of this property there is a 2nd single space of 4 acres in which are cultivated stone fruits (apricots) and Corinthian raisin. Both spaces are fully fenced with wire mesh and barbed wire.
Building Infrastructure
Within the multifunctional farm “Mylanthos” there are:
A 3-floor building.
This building is of a particular aesthetic and energy A class since it is essentially laid out on the ground from its north side. On the ground floor there are 2 independent cooling chambers that can operate simultaneously at different temperatures if the stored species require separation and different storage conditions.
Bordering the chillers there is a high-storey warehouse with rolling carts for full utilization of the storage area in addition to the tanks for storing liquids (mainly olive oil).
On the first floor there is the processing area, which has ergonomically positioned a washing machine, sterilizers, an oven, a kettle, a dosing machine, LPG and electric heat sources, a jar-bottle capping device, sinks, work benches, a label machine, a 2-door refrigerator etc. The entire installation is in accordance with ISO 22000 TUV NORD. In every room of the building there is an extensive network of compressed air, a hot water network, a quality control lab, and reverse osmosis!!!
In the adjacent area of processing, there is a Microbiological laboratory with the necessary equipment for controlling the production process at all stages, as well as the standardization of parameters that ensure consistent batch quality. Laboratory capabilities could reach a very specialized level of analysis of residues in the soil or even tristeza virus in citrus, since it has a complete ELISA technique system, among others!!!
On the upper third floor is the area of Management and Promotion of Activities and Products. This space can host up to 6 people to attend a seminar or workshop on issues related to good citrus cultivation practices. It should be noted that there is a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. It is also important to note that the sites are sufficiently networked with a low-voltage grid and computers – printers – scanners fully equipped with software for carrying out all kinds of accounting work and a certified software by UniSoft (logistics, CRM, e-shop, commercial management-POS etc).
Surrounding the main building facility have been developed areas for various activities, such as Drying for raisin making, storage of plastic containers, rainwater storage tanks, LPG storage etc. all placed in a particularly ergonomic way and not at the expense of the cultivated area.
A separate house (far from the processing area) is used as a small machine workshop for the maintenance and / or repair of both agricultural and other equipment. It is equipped with all the necessary machinery to carry out these tasks.
Finally, the Old Stone Mill from the 19th century is a hidden jewel that will require painful and costly restoration work and promotion.
Environmental Procedures and Welfare
Particular attention has been paid to production actions and techniques that not only reduce costs but also wisely manage natural resources!!!
Here is how!!!!! :
1) The use of hot water for processing needs is ensured by solar panels of appropriate size. Hot water is essential in all processing operations, from raw material cleaning to final product cleaning and its intermediates.
2) Power generation is ensured by photovoltaic panels located on the roof of the main building. Part of the generated energy returns to the provider for further processing.
3) The rational use of irrigation water is ensured by drip pipes, which spread throughout the farm. The lake reservoir created within the estate, of about 500 cubic meters capacity, has offered great help. With the help of a 15HP pump station the water is transported across the land irrespective of any altitude or hydrostatic difference. This tank is protected from evaporation by reflective materials on its surface and when emptied it is completed by adjacent drilling within the estate.
4) Wild Fauna-Flora: Intentionally, there is uncultivated land that has been left mainly around the boundaries of the estate. Wild birds and animals can be housed there.
The estate has its own fauna that seasonally appears and it is thrushes, woodcocks, beehives, quails, blackbirds, jaybirds, pair of eagles, frogs, snakes, hedgehogs etc. while also activity of badger, ferret and fox has been observed.
5) Waste management:
We pay a great deal of attention to waste management with recycling and composting bins, easily accessible at every point of the farm. Timber produced from pruning is recycled by offering plenty of organic matter to the soil, while those woods of a certain size are dried and disposed of as fuel.
6) All bulbs and headlights for night lighting are LED technology and of A+ energy efficiency. Photocells and adjustable timers are used to switch on or off when daylight conditions do not require it. Lighting is uninterrupted throughout the night.
Production-Efficiency
The annual production of the Farm amounts to:
About 120 tons of early-late lemon
About 10 tons of bergamot
About 10 tons of oranges
About 3 tons of mandarins
About 3 tons of grape fruit
About 1 ton of olive oil
About 3 tons of apricots
About 5 tons of raisins
In addition, processed products are produced in the form of spoon sweets, marmalades, spreads and petimezi (grape juice), which are available B2B in various distribution networks. Literally, the saying “FROM THE BRANCH TO THE FINAL PRODUCT” applies to us!
That’s why our products maintain nutrients, colors and perfumes without any need for additions of dyes or preservatives!!
Conclusions
Thus it is proved that “Mylanthos” Farm can be characterized as a Standard, Multifunctional, Innovative, Agricultural, Environmental friendly and Gastronomic Farm. The farm’s proper integration contributes to sustainable agricultural development, while through its smooth operation it promotes in combination the value of agriculture, education, culture and the environment.
These actions combine to contribute to a balanced growth in a sustainable environment.
The aim of this Farm was and will continue to be the promotion of culture and to continually reduce the impact of energy and water consumption through waste minimization and recycling.
Reduse-Reuse-Recycle
