Our Beneficiaries
Meet Angeliki Drakou and Kostas Papazoglou from Grizo & Prasino.
The story of Angeliki and Kostas, the couple who cultivate organic herbs in Komotini, began in 2012 when they founded their company, then called "Drogi," as a side business.
Kostas had worked as an agronomist consultant for organic farming, while Angeliki was a lawyer. However, a personal health challenge Angeliki faced made her reconsider her priorities and focus more on the business. This experience led her to decide to leave the legal profession and fully concentrate on organic farming.
The couple loves nature and the herbs they cultivate. Their vitality and dedication are evident in every detail of their business. Through this story, the power of love and dedication to pursuing one's dreams and creating a life that reflects one's true values shines through.
From Idea to Action
In 2017, they changed the name of their business to Grizo & Prasino. This name reflects the impact of their own lives and philosophy. It signifies the stability of changes in seasons and the objectivity in recognizing difficulties and opportunities for improvement. Angeliki emphasizes that they do not seek perfection but instead acknowledge their weaknesses and strive for constant improvement.
Their organic herbs are cultivated outside Komotini, in six acres in the Asomatos area. The herbs are grown with personal care, and the leaves are hand-picked, as are the fruits used in blends, such as quinces, apples, citrus fruits, which are also hand-cut.
"Since 2017, we mix 16 different varieties and package only whole leaves and flowers from them, while bottling the flavor and scents of the Thracian land in beautiful 250ml bottles," Angeliki says.
Participation in the "AgroAnelixi" accelerator
Both Angeliki and Kostas considered that their participation in the "Agroanelixi - Farmers of the Future" program, implemented by the organization "New Agriculture New Generation," would be a step that would help their business evolve and open up new horizons for new products and techniques.
Angeliki mentions that "Through the Agroanelixi Program of the New Agriculture New Generation Organization, we correct our mistakes, improve our products, and redefine our business goals to achieve the best quality of life we desire for ourselves and for everyone who drinks Grizo & Prasino."
Looking to the Future with Steady Steps: The couple has enriched their range with blends, thematic boxes with small collections, and sampler kits. Their goal is to invest in agritourism through Open Farms, which includes field tours, tastings, calendula picking with visitors, and seed planting.
Their next steps include creating syrups from herbs such as valerian or achillea, which can be used by professionals in restaurants and bars or at home for cooking and desserts.
Angeliki Drakou participated in the fourth cycle of the AgriFood Acceleration Program "Agroanelixi - Farmers of the Future."
The program supports agri-food businesses, aiming to shape a new entrepreneurial mindset in the sector and develop new differentiated food products through sustainable entrepreneurial efforts.
It is implemented by the organization New Agriculture New Generation through the founding donation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Sponsors of the fourth cycle of Agroanelixi - "Farmers of the Future" are DS Smith, ELBISCO, EFOOD, Letrina S.A., and Specialist Awards.
