Eglė Valuckaitė-Stašauskienė lives in a small village in the Kedainiai district of Lithuania, where she established her farm two years ago. She cultivates vegetables free from agrochemicals and processes them into jams, sauces, spices, and other healthy foods on her land. Her work focuses on offering natural, high-quality products tailored especially for children and families.
Eglė and her family moved to the countryside a decade ago for a healthier lifestyle. What started as a small garden to feed her family eventually became their livelihood. Today, they cultivate over 200 varieties of tomatoes and 20 types of peppers, among other products. “Everything started exactly because of the children so they could eat more delicious, higher-quality food without excessive agrochemicals,” she explains.
Eglė’s approach revolves around producing chemical-free food and processing it to make it healthier. Among her products are sugar-free food and low-salt crackers designed for children. She also uses social media to showcase the transparency of her practices and connect with her customers, promoting the consumption of local and sustainable products. “This is our unique selling point, and I always try to show on Facebook and Instagram how we manage this,” she tells us.
However, the journey has not been easy. Eglė faces the challenge of balancing work with the demands of family life and her professional responsibilities. Despite having the support of her husband, who helps care for their children, managing a farm while being a mother and wife remains a complex task. “The kids, the husband, the household chores… everything falls on the woman. But I’m very happy that my husband supports me and helps me and my children understand how hard you must work to make a living,” she says, highlighting her family’s essential role in her success.
Thanks to European subsidies, Eglė has significantly improved her farm by installing a greenhouse and a well. Recently, she received support to purchase a dehydrator, enabling her to process her products more efficiently. For Eglė, these grants are essential for modernising and expanding small farms, and she encourages other women to take advantage of such opportunities, even offering her help in completing applications.
Eglė also emphasises the importance of female community networks. As a member of “Grass Ceiling,” she finds support, idea-sharing, and motivation to
overcome challenges. According to her, these networks are crucial, as women are
better equipped to understand the unique difficulties of juggling roles as
mothers, wives, and professionals. “Only a woman can understand another woman and her feelings. Only they know what it takes to be a mother, daughter,
wife…” she states with conviction.
Although rural ageing and depopulation threaten businesses like hers, Eglė has found ways to adapt, bringing her products to urban markets in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Trakai. Her ability to innovate and her commitment to sustainable agriculture have made her farm a model to follow.
For Eglė, success lies in her agricultural work and her ability to inspire other women. Her message is clear: with effort, mutual support, and a strong community, any challenge can be overcome.