Located at the foot of the Ždánický Forest in Velké Hostěrádky, South Moravia, the social enterprise Jasan was founded in 2020 on the site of a former agricultural cooperative. Its founders, Renáta and Jiří Hřivna, brought their experience from several years of working at the Camphill community in Soutok. Today, Jasan leases farmland and a food-processing facility from PROBIO Ecofarm, which uses biodynamic methods to cultivate 355 hectares of arable land.
Jasan’s main activity is growing vegetables, which are delivered to customers in vegetable boxes through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme. The farm also collects its own ingredients and processes them into syrups, jams, pestos and chutneys. All products are certified organic and sold at markets, through the online shop and to businesses. The enterprise also focuses on landscape conservation, planting trees, installing birdhouses and supporting the return of grey partridges to the local area. The farm also raises livestock. Jasan employs six people, most of whom live on the farm. People from the surrounding area and nearby Brno also come to work there regularly, including people with intellectual or physical disabilities and mental health difficulties. Tasks are always adapted to their individual abilities. The farm also welcomes volunteers, interns and trainees, including students from the Farming School. These activities have helped create a close-knit and supportive community.
An important part of Jasan’s work is its cooperation with the Waldorf School in Brno, for which the farm serves as an educational farm. Primary school and secondary school students visit to experience agricultural work and learn about the process of food production. Together with parents and school staff, they also participate in selling seasonal vegetables and other products at school markets. In summer 2023, the Kulatý stolek Association was established. Since September 2024, it has operated Jasánek Forest Club for preschool children, incorporating elements of Waldorf education. Children experience life on a farm, discover the natural cycle of the seasons and interact closely with animals. Thanks to Jasánek, the farm has opened its doors to another group of visitors: families with young children.
For more information, visit their website here.