When Andris and Kristīne Dzenis started growing their first pansies fifteen years ago, they weren't thinking about business. It was a desire to see color where everything was still gray after winter. Today, the company "Stādi un ziedi 1" in Valdemārpils, Talsi Municipality, is a modern plant nursery, but back then it was just a 100 m² greenhouse and a simple stove that needed firewood every few hours. "You can do anything if it's the beginning of a process," recalls Andris, emphasizing that at that time there was no real support for the floriculture sector.
Today, the total greenhouse area is 2,200 m², and the farm's activities are concentrated from March to October – the period when both production and electricity generation with solar panels are most active. The products are sold on site at the farm, at local markets in Vandzene and Mērsrags, as well at the SIA "DEPO DIY" retail chain, with which the farm has a long-term partnership. The company has even set up its own "Stādi un ziedi" (Plants and Flowers) refrigerator in Valdemārpils, where local residents can buy fresh flowers.
European Union co-financing became a stable foundation on which Stādi un ziedi 1 could develop safely and with confidence in the future. With the support of the program, the first greenhouse was built, which was also the moment when the family realized that their hobby had turned into a business. Later, the family also purchased a milling machine and a potting machine, installed solar panels, and introduced a precise fertilization and irrigation system, providing most of the energy needed for greenhouse operation, increasing production volume, and optimizing resources.
Currently, two people work at the company, and, as Andris says, "nothing is more expensive than human labor." It is precisely human labor and care that makes each plant special. The family's initial dream has grown into a stable, competitive family business that continues to grow and modernize every year, inspiring other rural entrepreneurs.
