Two sisters from Thessaloniki took a risk during the height of the Greek crisis, launching an organic herb company. A few years down the road, they are selling their products all around Greece and internationally.
Renela and Alexia Giannakopoulou collect the plants by hand and transfer them directly to specially modified rooms for drying at the 10-acre farm they have in Monopigado, just outside Thessaloniki.
Four years ago the girls, who graduated from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, began to thoroughly research herb cultivation, with Renela attending a seminar at the Faculty of Pharmacy of AUTh on “Cultivation of Aromatic Medicinal Plants and Production of Essential Oils”, while Alexia received a Ph.D. for the active substances of Pharmaceutical Aromatic Plants.
They found an area in Monopigado, just 30 km from Thessaloniki and launched their business, called Inoni.
“We closely monitor and control all stages of cultivation and processing, from selecting planting varieties to packaging, offering a vertical agricultural production. We follow the organic farming principles for all of our products and use eco-friendly packages,” say Renela and Alexia.
“We sort and finally select the plants with great care. The final chosen material is then sealed in an air-tight environment in eco-packages, assuring the quality characteristics of our premium herbs.”
As reported by greekcitytimes.com, their main products are organic mountain tea, organic oregano, and organic sage.