About our company – AgroWit

over 30 years together

About our company

a few words about us

WHO ARE WE

The Agro-Wit company has been operating on the Polish market of food producers since 1990 and produces excellent pickled food. Mr Jacek and Mrs Agnieszka Malinowski grow cabbage on an area of over 15 hectares in Jelcza - a small town in the commune of Charsznica, in the Miechów poviat. Mr. Jacek Malinowski took over the farm from his parents in 1996, who started growing cabbage in the early 1970s - then they planted only one hectare. The level of services we provide is evidenced not only by customer satisfaction, but also by the certificates and awards we have obtained, which confirm our competence. We are members of the Małopolska Culinary Heritage Network. That is the best confirmation of the quality and taste of our products. The Małopolska Culinary Heritage Network aims primarily to promote natural food (traditional, local, regional, organic). Regional Culinary Heritage can be treated as a specific "quality mark" for local, organic, natural, traditional and regional food. In addition, we are winners of min. National Agro Polska Promotional Competition, Medal of Tastes of Regions Fair in Poznań, Małopolski Smak plebiscite, Polish Food Producer. Our products have been awarded min. promotional sign Appreciate Polish! and we won awards and distinctions in the competition "Our Culinary Heritage-Tastes of the Regions". With the constantly growing ecological and nutritional awareness of the society, an increasing group of consumers are looking for organic, little-processed food, coming from certified organic farms. To meet the needs of our customers, we have introduced organic products in our company's offer: sauerkraut, kimchi with smoked paprika and beetroot and red cabbage salad with juniper, and we can promise that their number will increase from month to month. Organic food not only allows you to maintain metabolic processes in the body, but also contributes to maintaining good health and thus is an important element of health prevention in the society. The organic food market is currently one of the most dynamically developing sectors of the food market in the European Union countries - including Poland.

how it started

OUR STORY

For centuries, cabbage has been eagerly eaten at the manors of the nobility, as well as became the main food of poor peasants, mainly due to the fact that its cultivation was simple and cheap. The first mention of the “cabbage roots” of Charsznica dates back to the 14th century, when the owner of these lands was Mieszko Głąb from Charsznica, son of Piotrosz “(…) already at the beginning of the 19th century, the rural population from the vicinity of Charsznica was able to pickle cabbage, which was used to prepare delicious dishes for lordly tables and peasants. This is also confirmed by the stories of the oldest inhabitants of the village. They show that cabbage has always been grown and pickled here.” “Charsznica – the cabbage capital of Poland. Tourist information booklet, edited by K. Olchawa, p. 76. On September 27, 1998, Charsznica declared itself the Cabbage Capital of Poland. It happened for a reason - cabbage fields in this commune occupy an area of approx. 2.5 thousand ha. ha, which gives, depending on the year, about 10% of the total area of cabbage cultivation in Poland, which is about 30% of cabbage grown on an industrial scale. On the same day, Mayor Jan Żebrak put crowns on the heads of the best cabbage royal couple for the first time. This title is awarded to the largest growers in the municipality. Being the cabbage king is an honor, but also a responsibility. The Cabbage King financially supports various cultural activities of the commune and, above all, cares for the good quality of cabbage produced in this "cabbage land". Since 1998, always in September for the Cabbage Festival, the most important moment of which is the coronation of the cabbage royal couple, hundreds of people involved in cabbage cultivation, as well as representatives of companies producing seeds, fertilizer companies and a large group of journalists and tourists come to Charsznica. in 2002, the title of the queen of cabbage was Agnieszka Malinowska. In the commune of Charsznica, everything is marked by cabbage. Local folklore groups sing songs about cabbage, and cabbage is the dish most often served at parties. It is produced throughout the commune of Charsznica in 18 villages: Charsznica, Chodów, Chodowiec, Ciszowice, Dąbrowiec, Jelcza, Marcinkowice, Miechów-Charsznica, Podlesice, Pogwizdów, Swojczany, Szarkówka, Tczyca, Uniejów-Kolonia, Uniejów-Rędziny Uniejów-Parcela, Wierzbie, Witkowice, on an area of 2000 ha to 2500 ha. On April 10, 2006, the Commune Office in Charsznica, on behalf of agricultural producers producing sauerkraut, applied to the Marshal of the Małopolskie Voivodeship for entry on the list of traditional products of "Sauerkraut from Charsznica". On November 28, 2006, "Charsznicka sauerkraut" was entered on the List of Traditional Products kept by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.

our priorities

QUALITY AND TASTE

Vegetables and fruits used for production in our company mostly come from family farms in the Charsznica commune. Cultivated with the use of naturally occurring fertilizers - by growing high-protein catch crops. In the pickling process, salt is the only addition, thanks to which the fermentation process occurs automatically and naturally without the use of artificial enhancers. Pickles are an inseparable element of Polish culinary culture, but also of this part of Europe. Pickling in our region is one of the most characteristic ways of storing food. In the dark, cool cellars all winter you could find barrels with cabbage and cucumbers, clay pots with vegetables and mushrooms. Ever since salt became widely available, it was used to preserve vegetables in the winter. Pickling consists in pouring salt over vegetables or pouring them with brine. Then there is a multiplication of lactic acid bacteria in the product, which stops its rotting and decomposition. The products produced in this way are full of live cultures of bacteria that are known for their probiotic properties that support the digestive system and, as a result, our health. One cannot forget about the content of vitamins, which does not change as a result of pickling, unlike pasteurized products. Pickles are also an amazing dose of substances useful for health! Vitamins that do not like, for example, cooking and frying are not lost in the pickling process. They also contain bacteria that are very valuable for our digestive system, especially for the intestines. Pickles provide a lot of vitamins B1, B2, B3, which regulate metabolism and facilitate the digestion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, smooth the skin, strengthen hair and nails and increase the absorption of iron, protecting against anemia. They are a fairly good source of vitamins C, A, E, K as well as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Pickled vegetables, like fresh ones, contain a lot of fiber, which gives a feeling of satiety, and this helps to maintain a proper weight and stimulates the work of the intestines, preventing constipation. In addition, they slightly acidify the body, so the desire to snack decreases. Vegetables and fruits lose calories during fermentation! One medium cucumber or a bowl of cabbage is only 12 kcal! This is the result of a decrease in the sugar content and an increase in the amount of water. During fermentation, under the influence of lactic acid bacteria, the sugar contained in vegetables and fruits is converted into lactic acid, which is a great preservative. Pickles are making a comeback. They are also discovered by great chefs.