The intoxicating tiny flowers of the Bulgarian Damask rose are grown in the Rose Valley to produce rare rose oil and unique rose water. The rare designation bears the huge number of flowers that are needed for its production. For one kg of this liquid gold, you need to collect one million Bulgarian roses by hand !!! The essential essence of this gem is therefore one million human touches. Without human hands, human labor will not be rose oil and rose water. Therefore, this is the biggest issue in the valley of roses nowadays.
Struggle for workers
Workers are hired by field owners every year. Some leaders organize individual groups. Transport is organized for them. At dawn they bring them to the field and take them back in the afternoon. Every year, growers face labor shortages. Seasonal workers go to work in agriculture in Greece, Italy, Spain and England. Those who remain are literally dragging farmers. This year, the situation was the most difficult in the last few years. Nevertheless, everything worked out.
One bag in two hours
At dawn, work brigades arrive in the field. You will find among them mainly ethnic and socially disadvantaged groups. Some Romani families are transported independently by their assembled horse-drawn carriages. One feels like you are in the middle of a family horse show. The wagons are loaded with numerous relatives. Everyone with healthy hands and feet is riding. And everyone is looking forward. Upon arrival, the foremen hand over a list of names, the collectors will receive bags that they tie around their waists for easier handling and go for it. The 10 kg bag is filled after about 2 hours of careful manual work. The tiny flowers of the Damascus rose are very light. The collector takes each bag to the collection point, where the worker of the rose mill is waiting, who weighs, checks and records the data. After grouping a certain number of bags at this place, the summoned drivers arrive and expressly transport the treasures for distillation to the rose mill. It must be distilled immediately, as soon as possible after collection.
Fairness
The interesting facts of the whole collection campaign are individual human destinies and stories. Here you will meet completely illiterate young members of ethnic groups and, conversely, very intelligent Bulgarians, who will not be in adversity and the difficult economic situation will get into trouble. By purchasing our products, you are helping these people directly. They got paid properly for their work. We only work with fair growers. For SoZoLe Rose products, not only the purity of agriculture is important, but also the right approach of farmers to all the “human hands” involved in the production of rose gems. Support them with us. I will gradually reveal other stories to you here.
