Field Day in Takovo: Knowledge, Practice, and Inspiration from a Regenerative Blueberry Orchard
On the green slopes near Takovo, The Regenerative Agriculture Alliance of Serbia, coordinated by The Association of Balkan Eco-Innovation (ABE), organized the first Regenerative Agriculture Field Day held in an orchard. The event was hosted by the Takovo Berry Cooperative, known for cultivating highbush blueberries, and gathered farmers, institutional representatives, students, experts, media, and delegates from the Embassies of the Netherlands and Norway — all united by the belief that the future of food begins with healthy soil.
“The soil must breathe — that’s the first lesson of regenerative agriculture,” said Mileta Čuljković, one of the cooperative’s founders, who decided to dedicate his life to the land after a career at sea.
“Just like a forest, a field can only thrive if there’s a balance between microbiology, chemistry, and physics. We don’t fertilize the forest — we learn from it.”
Key takeaways from the field:
🌾 Soil analysis and fertilization – “Fertilizing without analysis is pure guesswork,” explains Mileta. Proper soil analysis (SAP analysis) can reduce fertilizer use by up to 40% while improving plant resilience.
🪱 Soil health – Microbiological activity is crucial; without it, plants cannot absorb nutrients or resist disease.
⚖️ Natural balance – The more we align with the natural processes in the soil, the stronger and more resilient the plants become.
🫐 Practical example – Takovo Berry, the Alliance’s demonstration farm, has become a model of how regenerative practices can produce nutrient-rich fruit without pesticide residues.
The field as a classroom
The Field Day in Takovo once again showed that knowledge has the greatest value when shared.
Through on-site demonstrations, discussions, and analyses, participants learned how to make their production systems more resilient, healthier, and economically viable.
“This is not a story of idealism, but of nature’s logic,” say the hosts from the cooperative.
“Once you understand how the soil works, everything else falls into place.”
