My CEO 341

341 The Farm (Jayden)

"We have a little bit of everything here," Viktor says as we settle at the laden long wooden table.

"This is all from the farm?" I ask, glancing over at the colorful dishes, the jams, honey, cheeses, and cured meats. Even the bread and butter has the same label.

"All of it," Viktor confirms. "The bread is from our grain, milled right here. The honey, the jams, the cheeses -everything comes from what we produce on the land

Klara, Viktor's mother, balances the baby on her hip while ladling soup into bowls. "I'm a local Doula and I make a range of natural remedies and skin care products. Grow all the herbs myself."

"I have a five-month-old boy. Henry. He was born very prematurely. But he's growing stronger."

"I'm glad he is. This vegetable soup is from the garden," she says, handing me a bowl. "No preservatives, no chemicals-just fresh, organic produce."

I take a spoonful. It's rich and earthy, with a depth of flavor I've never tasted before. "This is incredible," I admit, savoring the taste. "You make all of this yourselves?"

Klara smiles warmly. "We do. Every bit of it."

Viktor points over to his sisters who beam with pride. "Agnes and Ilona make all our jams, pickles, cheeses, and honey. They've turned the farm's fresh produce, bees and sheep and goat milk into a profitable business stream. They are twins. 24." Agnes holds up a jar of strawberry jam with a beautifully designed label. "We grow the strawberries, harvest them, and make the jam here. All organic, no artificial anything."

I look closer at the jar, noticing the detail in the branding. "This label looks professional. Did you have someone design it?"

"Katalin," Viktor says, nodding toward the teenage girl at the far end of the table. "She's our tech expert Does all the design work and handles the social media and marketing." Katalin smiles shyly but proudly. "I like making sure everything looks as good as it tastes," she says, holding up her tablet where she's working on a new design.

impressed. "That's impressive at your age. You've all really

Gábor

run the livestock side-pigs, cat..., and poultry. All organic, hormone-free. We cure

dairy side. Cows, goats and sheep give us milk for cheese and yogurt.

of the cheese-sharp, creamy, and full of flavor. "This is some of the best cheese

311 The Farm

+25 BONUS

in awe. "You do all of this from just

nods. "We've maximized every inch of the farm. We produce all our own power and recycle all the water we can. Nothing

"Truly unbelievable."

handles the financial side," Viktor

use of resources-it's

everything. "You all seem to have your own roles here.

to contend with. But varied income streams mean we always have something that's strong." As we dig into the food, I can't help but notice the intricacies of each dish. Every bite tells a story-from the soil to the

sweet and bursting with flavor, the meats are rich and smoky, all hearty and fresh. Roasted vegetables, salad,

inside a supermarket let alone a farm. I'm totally embarrassed by that fact now. Maybe Winona has a valid point. But still, I won't be turning into

can get

my father, Dániel. He's out in the fields. He never has lunch. Too busy he says. I can show you the workings and you can look over the business side of

so much I haven't tried. I'm stuffed full." I pat

to feed the animals and clean the pens. No one ever tells them too. It's like clockwork. Viktor leads

never been this close to farm animals before, and the smells hit me-earthy, raw, unfamiliar. Not exactly unpleasant

fields, I spot a large set man, bent over, inspecting the crops. He straightens up when he sees us, wiping his hands on his pants. His handshake is firm, his eyes crinkled from

The resemblance is uncanny. But he's even taller and broader than

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