A family’s journey back to revitalise Vukovar through homemade products

Ivan and Slavica Dumendžić with their four children (Photo: Private album)

Yesterday was the 33rd anniversary of one of the most somber chapters of Croatian history—the fall of Vukovar. Today, there are a lot of positive stories coming out of the city.

In a region which has witnessed an exodus of its populace, one family from Slavonia has chosen a different path. 

The Dumendžić family, proprietors of OPG Slavica Dumendžić, returned to their roots with a mission – to breathe new life into Vukovar through sustainable agriculture.

Engaged in both beekeeping and fruit growing, the Dumendžićs own 96 beehives, yielding an array of products, including honey, propolis, and pollen. Their two-hectare orchards boast plums, apples, quinces, and apricots, treated only with copper during the winter months. 

The fruits harvested are meticulously transformed into homemade jams, produced in a traditional manner with a low sugar and preservative content.

This year, their dedication resulted in the creation of eight thousand jars of jam, with a significant portion pre-sold to customers ranging from Croatia to Germany. The Dumendžićs take pride in their innovative approach, particularly evident in their sugar-free plum and apple/cinnamon jam.

(Photo: Private album)

The family’s journey back to Slavonia followed two decades spent in Istria, where they raised their daughters. The decision to return to Vukovar was fuelled by a vision of providing a healthier upbringing for their children and realising their dream of a family farm.

We spoke with Ivan and his wife Slavica to find out more about their journey as well as the future of Vukovar and Slavonia.

Can you share a bit about your family history?

I am from Vukovar, and my wife is from the small village of Davor near Nova Gradiška. We met in Pula, where we lived and worked. After participating in the defence of Vukovar and a brief stay in Zagreb following my release from a war prison camp, I decided to take a job in Pula (the main training centre for the young army in Muzil). 

My wife also moved to Pula seeking better opportunities since her sisters were already there, making it a logical choice.

(Photo: Private album)

What made you return to Slavonia from Istria?

I spent twenty wonderful years in Pula, where we had our two daughters, Helen and Antea. Living in an apartment did not align with our vision of raising four children with healthy food and the freedom offered in Vukovar. 

Even then, we had a vision of our family farm, all our products, and the possibility of having four children. Eleven years ago, we returned to Vukovar and turned our dreams into reality.

How did you get into beekeeping, and how did you start jam production?

Even before returning to Vukovar, we planned to produce healthy food – products we once consumed as children. These were healthy products that our grandmothers made using tried-and-true recipes passed down from generation to generation, and we wanted to produce them ourselves for our children. 

(Photo: Private album)

With this idea, we started the production of homemade healthy products in Vukovar, alongside honey, we now produce healthy jams without artificial additives and flavor enhancers, following the original domestic recipe.

(Photo: Private album)

How was the business in the beginning, and how is it now?

Every beginning is challenging, and ours was no different. Not everything was ideal; there was a lot to learn about beekeeping and fruit growing, and we learned as we went. Everything I went through in life (war, three war prison camps) made me much stronger and more resilient. We overcame any difficulties much more easily.

What are the challenges and advantages of working in Vukovar?

As we developed, so did the city of Vukovar. I must emphasise that this area is under special state care, and much has been rebuilt (a new market, shopping centres, new companies, the water tower has been renovated for tourism). An increasing number of tourists visit the city.

Vukovar water tower (Photo: Private album)

What are your plans for the future?

In the future, we plan to create a tasting room for our products when we are financially able to welcome guests to our family farm and share the story of our products with them. We also plan to build a fruit processing facility. We hope our children recognise the whole project and continue in our footsteps.

(Photo: Private album)

What do you consider crucial for the revitalisation of Vukovar/Slavonia. Do you have advice to share with the youth?

Regarding the development of Vukovar and Slavonia, I believe the future lies in healthy food and effective branding of final products. We export too many raw materials or semi-finished products. 

My message to the youth is to develop their projects; leaving is not an option. Abroad, everyone works two or three jobs to survive and develop other people’s projects. I believe we have a lot of room for development and progress, as many projects as you want, you just need to persevere in your work, and with great dedication, success will come.

You can find out more about OPG Slavica Dumendžić and their products on their website here: https://opgdumendzic.hr