Life has a knack for throwing you curveballs, and on a recent sun-drenched day, it pitched me one straight from Nikica’s farm. Nikica, a relative of mine, is a man of the soil and a cultivator of summer’s quintessential fruit.
His farm, a vibrant splash of green under the Croatian sun, is his canvas and the watermelons, his masterpieces. Drawn in by the idyllic scene, I found myself walking along the sun-bathed rows, letting the earthy aroma fill my senses.
Nearing the end of my visit, Nikica’s wife stepped in, bearing a token for me to remember the day – a weighty specimen from their day’s harvest. I tried to offer payment but my money was brushed aside. This was not a transaction, it was a gift.
Over the next week, that gift became a morning ritual. Each day started with a slice of the sweet fruit, often topped with a sprinkle of salt or a drizzle of olive oil. It might seem strange, but it’s a trick I learned from the elders in the village. They may not know the term ‘post-prandial glycemia’, but their time-tested wisdom had discovered the olive oil’s effect on balancing the sweetness.
Immersed in this newfound morning routine and reflecting on the generosity of Nikica’s family, I felt a surge of gratitude. I decided to return the favor. I offered to create a digital storefront for Nikica – a website and high-converting landing page where he could market his farm’s produce to the seasonal tourists.
Traditionally, Nikica’s beauties sell for €10. But with the right platform and story, I was confident they could fetch a cool €20. After all, who could resist the lure of the locally grown, farm-fresh produce?