Soča Valley News Dec 2020
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Online market offers Slovenian vegetables to Bovec
Log pod Mangartom develop their ski area
Municipality of Tolmin offers youth chance to suggest use of budget
Zero waste project initiated in Soča Valley
Online market offer locally grown vegetables to Bovec
BOVEC - Mala tržnica (Small market) Bovec is a group on Facebook, that connects providers of fresh vegetables and other food items with people from Bovec. It was inspired by Mala tržnica North Primorska, which was created as a response to this spring’s Covid19 lockdown. At that time most outdoor markets were closed, so the offer of local produce moved online. Every day, farms and customers publish supply and demand in the group. When the demand for a certain product is high enough, they organize transport and determine the pick up points. Bovec became one of them.
Maja Zorč, the creator and administrator of the Mala tržnica Bovec website says that the platform was created spontaneously: “It all started with strawberries. I have been following the online group of North Primorska for some time, and I was amazed by the fresh produce that is offered. At the same time I was sad, because all these products were out of the reach for our remote municipality. No one will drive all the way to Bovec for just a few kilograms that I myself would order. One day while scrolling through the web I spotted a lady from Brda offering organic strawberries. I absolutely adore strawberries so I contacted her and immediately started looking for other interested people in Bovec, who would like to order some for themselves.” The response was remarkable.
To simplify the organisation she created the group on Facebook. "Since the home-grown strawberries were so delicious the word spread quickly all over Bovec and the group started to grow," said Maja. It now has over 400 members, and the number of local providers who come from all over Primorska and offer fresh, organic products is also increasing. Diversity of what they offer is everything from seasonal fruits and vegetables to honey, organic meat and dairy products, oil, vinegar, and the list is growing daily. The group is open to anyone who wants locally grown seasonal products, without preservatives. The natural development of Mala tržnica is raising awareness of domestic and wholesome seasonal crops, the efforts of farmers who grow them and the importance of local self-sufficiency.
Log pod Mangartom develop their ski area
LOG POD MANGARTOM - The Local Community of Log pod Mangartom has funded and built a new water reservoir in Log pod Mangartom. It is a supplement to an existing snowmaking system. “The ski resort has had an artificial snow system from the very beginning, but due to the relatively warm water from the Roja watercourse, the water flowing from the Rabelj mine, it never functioned optimally. The only permanent solution was to build a reservoir that would allow sufficient amounts of cold water, so that the ski resort could be covered with snow in the shortest time possible,” said Branko Vidmar, the president of the development cooperative Log pod Mangartom.
The project will significantly contribute to the further development of the Encijan family ski resort and add to the tourist activities that Log pod Mangartom has to offer. Artificial snow could significantly extend the season, develop the ski resort and boost the local tourism as a whole. “Right now, the reservoir is in a testing phase. If the weather and temperatures permit, they will start making snow and the ski resort could open as early as this Christmas. Of course it also depends on the whole Covid-19 situation,” said Branko.
Encijan Apartments owner, Blaž Krštinc is one of the initiators of the project: ''In addition to the ski resort, which is especially suitable for families and cross-country trails, we plan to install floodlights for night skiing and build a snow park, which would attract young people.” However, there is no skiing without good culinary options. Brunarica restaurant plans to offer food and drinks on the outdoor terrace with fire pits and great music.``The dream is that we would all work together and develop some kind of a resort throughout the years, where people could find everything in one place and enjoy Log also in the winter time. I really want to create an aprés scene. People would ride the slopes then finish the day on the terrace with music, fires and drinks.” said Robin Hill who runs the restaurant.
To fully complete the winter season fairytale an outdoor Finish sauna and a wooden jacuzzi is being built outside the Encijan Apartments resort with an amazing view of Jerebica mountain.
Municipality of Tolmin offers youth chance to suggest use of budget
TOLMIN - The municipality of Tolmin allocated 20.000 euros to finance youth projects for the year 2021. Young citizens are invited to vote how the budget is allocated. Lara Batistuta, a young Tolmin citizen explains: “The Young Initiative Campaign is a great project. It encouraged quite a few debates among young people and thus encouraged their participation in the local environment. It is probably the first time that the municipality gave us, the younger generation, the opportunity to express our ideas. The Municipality on the other hand realized that we also have a lot of good ideas, if we get a chance to express them. I think the apathy of young people is quite a problem and such actions certainly contribute to greater youth engagement."
Young people also participated in the implementation of the promotional campaign, which took place on social networks. “Some young residents of Tolmin appeared in the promo videos as youth ambassadors. Such a relaxed form of communication further increased the visibility of the project among the target group," said Romina Gerbec from the 3PR Agency which took care of the project’s advertising. The high number of proposals submitted shows that the campaign was successful.
Peter Kavčič, head of the working group and a member of the election commission, was pleasantly surprised by the response. “The decision to include the younger population proved to be the right one. Young interested residents proposed as many as 42 initiatives. This is a surprising amount for the first implementation of this form of participation," said Peter.
The deadline for submitting ideas expired on November 22nd and 28 projects that met the selection criteria were selected. The list of ideas is very diverse: it includes proposals for the renovation and construction of new sports facilities in Tolmin and its surrounding villages, ideas for supporting and restoring local (youth) culture in the municipality, and some completely unique projects.
On Saturday December 19th all young people with permanent residence in the municipality of Tolmin will be able to submit electronic votes for their top three initiatives. The winning projects will be announced in the beginning of the next year.
Zero waste project initiated in Soča Valley
POSOČJE - In November members of the Climate Change and Environmental Protection Study Circle created a new work group named Brezsmetno Posočje (Zero Waste Posočje). The purpose of the group is to research and raise awareness about waste and how it affects the local environment. The group has a Facebook and Instagram page, where they offer practical advice, ideas, tips, and various content that will contribute to a more environmentally friendly life for individuals and municipalities in the Posočje region. They will also organize educational events and offer workshops to discuss the topics within the community.
In September, the Coworking Base in Tolmin hosted Barbara Nemec. She is the founder of the online store with plastic-free products Moja Cula; she lectured on the basics of life without waste. Now, during the December holidays, you can find great options and ideas for presents among the local products of Posočje artists on the Brezsmetno Posočje website. You can pay for and pick up the selected product at the Coworking Base in Tolmin.