As Novac writes on the 1st of September, 2019, many customers, including both Rovinj locals and foreign tourists, who visited the Rovinj market this summer would likely have been greeted by Matea Peteh, recently married and now bearing the surname Bjelančević. Few people would expect that this former Croatian swimmer would serve them at stands in the realm of colourful vegetables.
After making a big circle around the world, she returned from where she came from, to the fertile land of Calandra, near the Palud Ornithological Park. She completed her studies in the United States, and although there were numerous opportunities for her over there, according to Novi list, Matea returned home to Croatia.
She chose the Swimming Spring League as the time to say a final goodbye to taking part in active competitions, and back in May 2013 at the Kantrida swimming pool, with the applause of a loyal audience, at the age of 23, she concluded her swimming career. Everyone expected her to stay in that field, to teach young people and train others. Matea Peteh, however, had other ideas and chose a completely different path.
”I’ve been everywhere, but my parents have been in agriculture for 30 years, so I felt it was time to come and help them. They’ve always supported me, took me to my training, helped with my schooling, and constantly invested in the farm so that they could be competitive on the market.
They also planted greenhouses with outdoor vegetable gardens, so I decided that it would be normal for me to continue with my family business, as it would be a great pity for all of that, behind which lies a lot of hard work, to just go to waste. My dad Mate and my mum Marica have been continuing to work for years when they should really be taking that time to relax a little, but alas, their work drives them on.
While I was intensely involved in swimming and studying in the US, my sister Tea was born, and she’s already 14 years old. She has those sporty genes like I have, a preference for aerobic sports and the sea, so I take her for sailing. She started with an optimist, and then she won third place at the Croatian Open,” says Peteh.
The work day at Calandra farm, where you will be greeted by several lovely dogs, chickens and other domestic animals, begins in the early morning when the fresh vegetables are harvested and transported to the market. The Peteh family has two stands, one of them is run and arranged by Matea and the other is handled by her mum, Marica. Matea is the youngest Rovinj vegetable grower, and many others of her generation have been asking her how and why she chose this job and a ”Croatian life” after staying in the US and experiencing American opportunities.
”People have this notion that America is just a country of prosperity in itself. However, living there at an accelerated pace, young people need to quickly become independent and move for work. There is a lot to do to achieve the American dream, idealised in those cliché films. After five years, I decided that nothing could replace my peace on Calandra, even though that meant working from dawn til dusk, so much so that I didn’t even manage to go for a swim this summer on the nearby, Cisterna beach, otherwise one of Rovinj’s most beautiful,” Matea continues.
”In the 15 years since I was away from Calandra, vegetable growing technology has changed so much that I have so much to master. However, my new job is a work in progress, so every day I’m learning something new, and encouragement is given to me from my dad Mate and my mum, Marica. Mostly, my dad is in charge of the field. He’s constantly on the tractor and behind the miller and the grinder,” explains Matea.
People in Rovinj are well aware of biologically produced vegetables. For example, the Calandra chard looks a bit different, there are holes in the leaves, meaning that it hasn’t been treated with any pesticides. Because of this, locals don’t bother with the shopping centres selling vegetables from unknown destinations, under the motto “from Croatian fields”, but rather prefer to return to the markets with vegetable growers they know well. Matea says, therefore, that their business is not dependent on tourists who buy fruit and veg here and there, but on Rovinj’s locals, who buy from her throughout the year.
”We’re now nearing the end of the summer season, so we’re already preparing for autumn and winter. We’ve already planted new plantations of cabbage, kale, spinach, chard, winter salads, chicory and other winter vegetables. On the market, we sell almost everything we produce, and only small quantities are bought by those from the hospitality industry. To reach the market and attract customers, you need a wide variety of vegetables and fruits so that customers can be supplied with everything they need all in one place,” explains Matea.
It is a rare example that after such a rich sports career, such as thirty-year-old Matea, that a person returns from abroad and continues on with their Croatian family tradition. In the once economically diverse, now extremely touristy Rovinj, many young people, after completing their studies, seek opportunities in the cities where they study, especially if they’re abroad. Matea Peteh has been there and done that. She knows that her place is in Calandra.
”There is a future for young people in agriculture. The market exists, it just needs to get going and especially focus on organic production. My love for the land was instilled by my father Mate and my mother Marica, there is also my sister-in-law, and after work, my husband Marko. We all know each other in our small town, so local housewives know where to come to buy fresh vegetables. Despite the summer crowds and the inability to park, our loyal customers come even though they have to walk for a long time,” concludes Matea Peteh, the ex-swimmer turned youngest vegetable grower in Rovinj, boasting her own OPG.
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