Hello Križevci 2030
A ride through the regenerative region we aim to create around Križevci in Croatia
I ride my bike towards Kalnik. This weekend is finally warm and sunny, real spring weather, so I decided to make a circle around the Prigorje area - from Križevci to Kalnik and back.
I’m passing through Bočkovec village where my dad was born, next to the house where he grew up and where I used to play with my sister. I stop and look at that large yard I ran through, the orchard from which I used to pick apples, pears and cherries, and the stream Kamešnica behind the orchard where my sister and I could cross when the water level was low.
Here now is a well-known family farm that practices regenerative farming. This farm initiated the transformation of agricultural production in Križevci ten years ago, back in 2020, with the help of the Future Cities initiative team and the City of Križevci.
Riding through the villages around the city, I look at completely different views compared to those of ten years ago. There are no more empty houses in the villages - now there are new families who have decided to leave city life and move to the countryside. Life is more beautiful, calmer and healthier. Most local farms have turned to regenerative agriculture, renewable energy sources and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
I ride and I think how nice it is to see solar panels on the roofs of all the houses, which I once dreamed of when passing through villages in Germany - seeing solar power plants on the roofs of their farms. Farms have become ‘smart’ using advanced information technology in their work. They have become energy independent using their solar power plants to produce electricity and agro-biomass for heating.
The farmers of Križevci have also merged into a thriving agricultural cooperative, which made it easier for them to switch from business-as-usual to regenerative agriculture and renewables.
The transformation is more than obvious. That same stream I used to walk when I was a child, ten years ago was used for waste disposal, the water was polluted and there was no life in it. Today, fish and crabs can be seen in the crystal clear water, and shrubs and trees on the slopes of the creek are home to many different species of birds. The fields are no longer sprayed with pesticides, but natural ways of fighting pests and diseases are used.
Next to each field there is a board with the inscription “Zdravo Križevci” (‘Hello Križevci’), which proves that regenerative food cultivation is in that field. The brand “Zdravo Križevci” has become recognizable throughout Croatia, and also abroad. It is often mentioned as an example of good practice, not only because of organically grown food and other top quality products, but also because of the innovative way of selling its products to the public using the local currency “Križ-coin”. Short supply chains have been established around the city and only food that is not available locally is imported. This provides farmers with secure sources of income for their families because almost everything they produce is sold to the local population.
Farmers realized they share the same dream - strong community and a resilient natural environment. They started to invest 10% of cooperative profits into a fund that finances young farmers who are just starting out, and those who want to change business-as-usual and switch to regenerative agriculture. This fund has helped to finance more than 300 agricultural enterprises and the education of young specialists of regenerative agriculture in cooperation with the Križevci College of Agriculture. This leadership has enabled sustained growth of the local agricultural sector’s economic value — and local farmers now report earnings well above most other regions of Croatia.
The views of today’s villages are not only fields, but also meadows that are no longer mowed as they used to be. The flowers of different colors are home to different animals (pheasants, butterflies, bees, wild rabbits, roe deers). I am especially proud at night when I see a real light show of fireflies on these meadows, which could not be found at all 10 years ago.
Riding back towards the city, I ride the bike paths that have connected the rural area and the city itself over the past ten years. Trees planted along the paths give me shade, while they make up a key part of the distributed public orchard. In autumn there will be many pick-your-own picnics here. There are many other cyclists - bike paths have become busier than roads (electric bikes and the regularly spaced solar-powered charging points have made cycling the local transport mode for all ages).
Thinking about how much my city has changed, and become truly a best possible place to live, I feel very proud to have been part of this transformation. It all started with the mission-led process we launched way back in 2020.
