Severynivka AH in the Vinnytsia region, is developing its own economy with the help of «the fruit and berry cluster», having united production, tourism and medicine.

Michael Dixon, an architect-conservator by profession, being a Peace Corps volunteer in the Podil Agency of Regional Development public organization, managed to convince the local authorities that the park and the greenhouse, desined by Irish gardener Denis McClair, are valuable and worth restoring.

Severynivka AH having been established in 2016, the idea became not only real but necessary as it was decided to make the Orlovskyis’ old palace an element of “the Apple Way”  a powerful project to enrich Severynivka AH in the future.

Severynivka signed the so called Mayors for Economic Growth Agreement (M4EG), the EU initiative, aimed at facilitating the Eastern Partnership states authorities.

The hromada was planning to create a whole economic cluster, based on a single produce apples and berries, the area is rich in. “The Apple Way” idea is plain: berries and apples should be sold not as raw materials but as juices, jams, dried fruit, etc, increasing their added value.

On December, 26, 2017 Severynivka AH signed a grant contract on the “the Apple Way” cluster fulfillment. Currently Severynivka has an ambition to make the apple capital of Ukraine, attracting more tourists.

The AH is going to launch several «apple» facilities to be a future tourist destination:  McClair’ house–museum and a greenhouse, a cluster office with the degustation equipment, an enterprise for the production of juices and apple chips, the gardening history museum, a nursery garden with ancient Podil apple varieties and eventually a resort with a range of procedures based on apple juice application.

Severynivka AH wants to show Ukraine the power of a small producer and village cooperative associations. “The Apple Way” must unite around the topic of apples not only gardeners and processors but also tourist service providers, doctors and the local authorities. It will be beneficial for everyone but mostly – the hromada.