Elkana Membership Categories

The Elkana’s membership can be granted to any interested person, individual farmer / citizen, farmer union, cooperative, association, enterprise, religious organization and so on.

Members of the Association pay their membership fees in accordance to their categories.

 

I CATEGORY

Membership fee is 10 GEL per year;

Members can be ideological and small holder farmers (owning less than 1 ha of land);

Members are entitled to

1.      Consultations on key principles of organic farming;

2.      Familiarization with organic production standards and with preparations allowed in organic production;

3.       Opportunities to take part in thematic seminars organized by ELKANA;

4.      Consultations in ELKANA’s Office, as well as remotely such as via phone, e-mail and the Internet;

5.      Field consultations upon the member’s request (for at least five members in a region).

 

II CATEGORY

Membership fee is 30 GEL per year;

Members can be small / medium farmers (owning less than 3 ha of land);

Members are entitled to

1.      Consultations on key principles of organic farming;

2.      Familiarization with organic production standards and with preparations allowed in organic production;

3.      Consultations in ELKANA’s Office, as well as remotely such as via phone, e-mail and the Internet;

4.      Preparation of the farm description form (in accordance with the ELKANA’s standard form);

5.      Once per year planned visit by a consultant (to consult at least three farms per day);

6.      Recommendations and advices (in a paper form);

7.      Opportunities to take part in thematic seminars organized by ELKANA;

8.      Consultations on entrepreneurship topics in ELKANA’s Office, as well as remotely such as via phone, e-mail and Internet;

9.      Information on opportunities of bio-certification;

10.  Information on opportunities to obtain an ELKANA’s quality mark;

11.  ELKANA’s assistance in finding seed and saplings (also, domestic animals, poultry, bees);

12.  Opportunities to take part in regional seminars, discussions and farmer days organized by ELKANA.

 

Note: 40% discount on participation in trainings organized by ELKANA.

 

III CATEGORY

Membership fee is 80 GEL per year;

Members can be medium / large farmers (owning over 3 ha of land), cooperatives, and enterprises;

Members are entitled to

1.      Consultations on key principles of organic farming;

2.      Familiarization with organic production standards and with preparations allowed in organic production;

3.      Consultations in ELKANA’s Office, as well as remotely such as via phone, e-mail and Internet;

4.      Preparation of the farm description form, assistance with development of the organic conversion plan, on-farm consultations once per year (entrepreneur / farmer covers transportation costs);

5.      Recommendations and advices (in a paper form);

6.      Opportunities to take part in thematic seminars organized by ELKANA;

7.      Legal consultations on entrepreneurship topics in ELKANA’s Office, as well as via phone, e-mail and the Internet;

8.      Information on opportunities of bio-certification;

9.      ELKANA’s assistance in finding seed and saplings (also, domestic animals, poultry, bees);

10.  Opportunities to take part in regional seminars and farmer days organized by ELKANA;

11.  Involvement of experts (scientists, specialists) in the study and resolution of identified problems on a needs basis (farmer covers transportation costs);

12.  Consultations on preparation of credit applications, business plans and grant applications, as well as on marketing questions in ELKANA’s Office and /or via phone, e-mail;

13.  Assistance with elaboration of a conversion plan complying requirements of a certification body (farmer covers transportation costs);

14.  The right for entrepreneurs / farmers seeking the quality mark to submit the application; one planned inspection per year (entrepreneur / farmer covers transportation costs) and one inspection per year without notification (ELKANA covers the visit costs).

Note: 50% discount on participation in commercial trainings organized by ELKANA and on brochures and books published by ELKANA.

 

ELKANA SERVICE OFFER

 

If a member wants a service, which is not included in the free consultation package, such as namely:  

1.      Assistance with writing a project proposal;

2.      Assistance with writing a business plan;

3.      Preparation of a financial analysis of the business activity;

4.      Preparation of a marketing plan;

5.      Assistance with rendering a product marketable to consumers;

6.      Additional professional consultations (beekeeping, livestock farming, grain growing, gardening, horticulture, viticulture, viniculture, permaculture);

7.      Legal consultations in agriculture.

 

Note: The service fee is calculated on a case-by-case basis, after identifying a work scope and size of extra costs.