The Jezdimirović family from the village of Beloljin near Prokuplje keeps sheep, regular and dwarf goats, pony horses, chickens, ducks, and runs a donkey farm on their property. They are returnees from Switzerland who want to start a business they can live from. Their goal is to organize the sale of donkey milk and related products, and to make their farm a part of the local tourist offer.
The Jezdimirovićs traded Geneva, where they lived for nine years, for Beloljin near Prokuplje. They began fruit growing and livestock farming and formed a farm with around fifty animals, with the Balkan donkey being the most prominent.
“We mostly keep jennies. We have a lot of jennies. We also keep pony horses, dwarf goats, and we plan to expand our farm. To open a small zoo,” says Miloš Jezdimirović from Beloljin.
“We returned here because we think it’s better for the children to grow up in the countryside, surrounded by animals. It was my mother-in-law’s idea and then we agreed to buy the jennies and started with one. Then we bought a jack, and now we have nine jennies on our farm,” says Jovana Jezdimirović from Beloljin.
Mare is the leader of the herd. He is the oldest and is six years old. In a few days, the family will welcome three new arrivals to the farm, which means more work for six-year-old Novak, who has so far named every animal.
“My pony is called Lenka. We play, we listen to each other, we walk, and we hang out,” says Novak Jezdimirović from Beloljin.
“Novak is the main one when it comes to naming, and we did all this because of him, because he loves animals so much,” adds Miloš Jezdimirović.
Novak’s brother and sister also enjoy this animal kingdom, as well as other children who often come here from all over the Toplica region.
“Here I get to see something I wouldn’t see anywhere else. For example, in Đakus. I have my own favorites here and I miss them when I don’t come for a weekend,” explains Jelena Milosavljević from Đakus.
Jovana, although a mother of three, spends a lot of time on the farm and knows each animal deeply, their traits and their nature. Her favorites are the donkeys because they are loyal, gentle, and very easy to care for.
“A jenny gives on average between 200 and 700 milliliters of milk. Milking is done by hand because hand-milking results in milk with zero percent bacteria,” says Jovana Jezdimirović from Beloljin.
They pack the high-quality milk in its raw form, but Jovana also uses it to prepare various drinks and make soaps for skincare. She says their idea is to expand the product offer and make their farm a part of the tourist offerings in this region, as they want to attract students, schoolchildren, and all those who don’t have the chance to see old Balkan breeds of animals.
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Source: RTS, Foto: Printscreen RTS