Organic milk now available at Tornik

Visitors of the Gold Gondola can now enjoy fresh milk produced by Zlatibor households. With the aim of boosting the sale of local products and goods, the Gold Gondola has supported the implementation of the Zlatibor Eco Agrar project, which has installed the first milk vending machine at Tornik under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Easy to use, with a capacity of 200 liters, the milk vending machine will be stocked with milk from 8 small producers whose goods are organically certified, and it will also offer other products from the dairy “Naša Zlatka”.

Gold Gondola is known as a socially responsible company that supports the development of local entrepreneurship. The diverse products and services constantly improve the offer and promote authentic Zlatibor products that have received positive reactions from travelers like brunch in the air and local beverages. The new milk vending machine is located near the Gondola Bar at Tornik, at a location frequented by a large number of visitors who will have the exclusive opportunity to try the finest milk from Zlatibor.

"The goal of Gold Gondola is to work on an integrated tourist product together with our partners and associates from other public enterprises and institutions of the Municipality of Čajetina, as well to promote what we have here in Zlatibor in various ways. The milk vending machine at Tornik is just one part of the puzzle in offering traditional local products to a wider market and tourists. We want to promote local products through our offerings, like brunch in the air and romantic trips. Guests who walk here or sit in the café can see some of the cows that often pass under the gondola, as it is from this area that the livestock from which organic milk is processed come. In addition to bottles, we will soon have glasses that milk can be consumed since it is pasteurized. I am sure that this service will have a significant impact, contributing to the development of tourism and the economy," said Bojana Božanić, director of Gold Gondola Zlatibor.

The milk vending machine for selling organic pasteurized milk, the only one of its kind in Serbia, consists of two components. It has a capacity of 200 liters with a replaceable storage bottle, and customers can fill milk into glass bottles as the machine includes a bottle vending system. The machine combines a cooling system, milk reservoirs, a mixer, a control system, and a chilled filling section, designed for customer convenience and easy use.

"The idea and project are part of a broader initiative of the European Union through cooperation with the UNDP and the governments of Sweden and Switzerland, which financially supported the implementation of this project in partnership with the Ministry of Environmental Protection. We wanted to network everything authentic in this area, as we have connected the producers. We believe this is the best way for tourists from Serbia, the region, and abroad to be familiar with the offerings of Zlatibor. We will strive, as Eco Agrar, to have as many items in the milk vending machine from our region as possible. The milk vending machine can sell cheese, cream, dried meat in slice packaging, fresh organic eggs, honey, or anything else that meets the standards," said Marko Marić, director of Zlatibor Eco Agrar, adding that organic milk is currently supplied from the surrounding villages of Jablanica, Stublo, Dobroselica, and Mušvete.

The goal of installing the milk vending machine is to encourage the sale of milk from local producers and promote the flavors that tourists, among other things, love to come to the most visited mountain in Serbia. The milk vending machine project not only helps producers reach their customers more easily but also contributes to increasing the economic effect of organic production. We expect this initiative to further stimulate the development of organic agriculture in our municipality and promote healthier choices among consumers.

The realization of the milk vending machine project was made possible by Zlatiborski Eko Agrar, Innovation Business Center, and Gold Gondola, which have successfully collaborated on this significant endeavor.