HISTORY

AROUND 1920, NONNA EMILIJA PURCHASED THE HOUSE AT KOZANA 28 FROM HER FATHER.

Having previously run a shop in the square (“Pri Jeronovih”), she decided to do the same in her new home in addition, establishing her own bakery. She was enterprising enough to obtain a licence for the sale of tobacco and salt, goods that in those days were distributed through a government monopoly. Her shop also carried coffee, a highly expensive luxury that was sold virtually by the bean. Business was booming, allowing Nonna Emilija to buy a further two houses in Kozana and a considerable plot of arable land, while her father gave her the vineyard on Žemljica.

THE FARM WAS LARGELY DEDICATED TO GROWING FRUIT, NAMELY CHERRIES, PLUMS, PEARS AND FIGS. IT ALSO PRODUCED SOME WINE FROM THE OLD WINE VARIETIES (MAINLY REBULA) THAT WERE PLANTED IN THE ŽEMLJICA VINEYARD.

Nonna Emilija gave birth to Talica in 1917 and to the twins Adriana and Vanda in 1924. Talica and Adriana both developed an interest in medicine, so Talica became a midwife while Adriana studied to become a nurse. They both wanted to go out in to the world and Adriana eventually found a job in Imola, Italy, where she settled down.

The children all inherited a love of nature and farming, but none more so than Timon, who gave up his job to focus on the farm. In the first year after taking on the task, he planted an additional hectare of olive trees, installed a modern irrigation system and organised automatic bio-fertilisation. On another hectare, he planted a terraced orchard with indigenous varieties of Brda fruit. The olive grove and the orchard are farmed organically.