In a few words
The ‘Stagones’ collective is today organized as a Social Cooperative Enterprise (SCE), yet the undertaking began more than a decade ago, when a group of friends decided to leave the large cities behind them and move to the countryside permanently in search of a different quality of life and greater closeness to nature and the earth. The members of the Stagones SCE live on three farms in northern Evia, where they engage in the collective’s activities.
‘Stagones’ Social Cooperative Enterprise
As time went by, and more people joined the group, it became necessary and desired to impart a more formal and complete shape to our undertaking, and thus the collective Stagones became a SEC, an enterprise that pursues social, environmental, and financial goals all at the same time, operating in the context of the social and solidarity economy.
The Stagones SCE is democratically organized, as our members are both employees and owners of the enterprise. Having witnessed the depreciation of the vastly important natural asset that is farming land, we try to extract real value by cultivating our land and showing the utmost respect for nature.
We produce pure, natural products, always focusing on sustainability and quality.
Goals
Our main goal is to sustainably develop and provide goods and services that cater to the needs of our members, but also to those of the people and the wider region of northern Evia, where we live. More specifically, in our holistic diet products, we are interested in ensuring their sustainable production and purity. As an SEC, we operate in a non-strictly profit-driven way as a substantial percentage of our income becomes reinvested into our group and our multifaceted activities.
Timeline
The beginning
Our journey begins in 2011, when Nikos, Andreas, and Giannis create the unofficial as yet group ‘Stagones’. A year later, Nikos and Giannis also purchase farms in Vlachia, Evia, and now they all dedicate themselves to natural building and organizing related workshops.
Evolution
A few years later, in 2014, we meet Ilias from Kirinthos and Nikos from Limni, and we all start growing fruit and vegetables together on Ilias’ estate. From this first collaboration comes the cultivation of pomegranates. Gradually, the need to obtain a legal entity that will cover our various activities is emerging. So in 2018, the “Drops” from an informal group turn into a Co.S.Ep, and we start professionally selling fresh products and then processing them. At the same time, the implementation of educational programs for young people from all over Europe begins in Vlachia.
Today
A turning point for the evolution of the SCE’s productive activities is our recently acquired, modern packaging and bottling facility in Kirinthos, where our natural products are processed.
In the near future
One of the SCE’s main statutory goals is to contribute to the revitalization of the countryside, which pivots around the creation of a healthy economic model premised on cooperating with other local farmers and producers. To achieve that, we will be focusing on collaborations with individuals who are interested in cultivating in an environmentally friendly way to produce, pure and quality products.
Areas of Activity
Holistic nutrition
In our farms in Kirinthos in northern Evia, we produce the raw materials with passion and love and process them, with respect and knowledge, as little intrusively as possible to create and offer a range of holistic nutrition products that preserve their natural nutritional advantages intact while remaining tasty.
Εναλλακτική Εκπαίδευση
Οι Σταγόνες υλοποιούν προγράμματα εναλλακτικής εκπαίδευσης, που προσφέρουν βιωματικά γνώσεις και εμπειρίες για την μετάβαση στην ύπαιθρο.
Natural Building
The term “natural building” describes various construction techniques that utilize natural materials such as clay, sand, stone, wood and natural materials.
Our members
Andreas Papachristou
Born in Athens, Andreas worked as a sound engineer for several years before taking the bold decision to relocate permanently to Vlachia in northern Evia. Apart from music. He now focuses on natural building and training programs for youths from around Europe.
Nikos Glossiotis
Nikos is the sole member of the SCE to actually originate from northern Evia. Having pursued various professions in Athens, he has settled permanently in Limni with his family and works on the SCE’s farms and oversees the sales for the SCE’s products.
Nikos Kontonikas
Nikos comes from Larissa in central Greece, and is a professional organic farmer. He spends half his time in Larissa and the rest in Evia, where he mainly works on farms, produce processing, and natural building.
Natalia Iliadi
Natalia is an architect and designs and oversees the SCE’s natural building projects. She specializes in bioclimatic construction. She is permanently established in Vlachia.
Dominic Taylor
Dominic has been working on natural building for more than 30 years. Over the years, he has lived in many different places around the world; since 2013, he has been permanently established on one of the two farms in Vlachia, where he works on natural building. He is also very passionate about timber construction.
Giannis Papatheodorou
Giannis has been living permanently in Vlachia for the past 13 years. He works on the SCE’s farms and directs the sales of its products, but also dabbles with natural building.
Ilias Papanikolaou
Ilias moved permanently to Evia in 2011 and is a professional organic farmer. He grows pomegranates and other fruit and vegetables. Together with his family he lives in Kirinthos. Καλλιεργεί ρόδια και οπωροκηπευτικά και ζει μαζί με την οικογένεια του στην Κήρινθο.
Stella Vourneli
Η Στέλλα μετακόμισε στην Εύβοια πριν 13 χρόνια και ασχολείται με την υλοποίηση των εκπαιδευτικών προγραμμάτων της Κοιν.Σ.Επ., τη διαχείριση των εθελοντών μας, καθώς επίσης και με την καλλιέργεια και μεταποίηση βοτάνων της ευρύτερης περιοχής.
