English version 🇬🇧
Ethnobotanical drink / Workshop series
In biological terminology, “holobiont” refers to an organism composed of multiple organisms. We use this term as a metaphor for human identity deeply rooted in the world of plants. Around this concept, we invite you to a series of workshops aimed at developing a beverage based on herbs and fruits. The process will guide participants through every stage of product creation—from developing the recipe, cultivation, production, packaging, and marketing. The Holobiont project is a meeting and exchange space for our ethnobotanical identities.
Join this unique project designed for everybody, especially for people with migration experience and create an ethnobotanical beverage with us::
- Gain knowledge and a whole new experience
- Share your knowledge of human-plant relationships
- Learn how to grow and process plants
- Join the MOST farm community and stay with us for longer
📝 Fill out the registration form!
The workshop will be conducted in 🇵🇱Polish or 🇬🇧English, depending on the needs of participants.
Find the project description and schedule below.
HOLOBIONT
An ethnobotanical drink
Human-plant relationships are an element of identity and one of the basic practices of ecosystem formation. In different countries and cultures, meanings, symbols and practices are created around plants. It is a feedback relationship that shapes the environment and its ethnobotanical specificity. Sharing food and drink is at the heart of gatherings. They organise the rhythm of daily life and are witnesses and companions to our history. The Holobiont, an ethnobotanical drink, is intended to be such a companion and an occasion for conversation.
In biological terminology, a holobiont is an organism composed of many organisms. In this case, the term is used as a metaphor for human identity rooted in the plant world. Under this label, we propose a workshop process to develop a drink based on herbs and fruits. The process involves going through all the stages of product creation. From recipe development to cultivation, production, packaging and marketing. We want Holobiont to be a drink that is a meeting place for us humans and our cultures.
Everyone is invited to participate in the workshop and especially people experienced with migration. Together with the MOST cooperative, which runs a farm in the Siekierki district of Warsaw, we will be looking for flavours that tell the story of ethnobotanical relationships and identities. We will plant, harvest, find suppliers and brew a drink under the guidance of experts and specialists.
A project that combines elements of cultural animation, horticulture and social economy. Hybrid start-up. The material objective is to produce a certain quantity of the drink, bottle it, label it and distribute it. The less material but equally important objective is integration, knowledge sharing and the acquisition of specific skills related to the food tech industry.
Project schedule
Proces warsztatowy zakłada dwa etapy:
Conceptual stage
Between December 2024 and March 2025, we plan to hold four conceptual and animation workshops on the following themes:
- Ethnobotanical identities – plants of our childhood, our cultures, our homes
- Plant symbolism – the symbolic meaning of plants and their properties and flavours
- Recipe – developing a flavour that could represent the meeting of ethnobotanical identities in times of forced migration. Collaborative composition
- Raw materials – developing what and how we can grow and what we need to get from other sources
Implementation stage
From April to August we will hold 4 workshops on implementation activities and practical skills:
- Cultivation – activities at the MOST Cooperative Farm under the guidance of experienced gardeners and horticulturists
- Visual side – development of packaging and labels in collaboration with a professional graphic designer/artist
- Beverage production – production of the beverage in cooperation with experienced processors using professional kitchen equipment
- Promotional event – development and preparation of an open event to crown the project, where the drink will be presented to the general public
The exact date and location will be announced one month in advance.
The workshop will be conducted in Polish or English, depending on the needs of participants.
Sounds interesting? Don’t hesitate to contact us!
Project coordinator: Maciej Łepkowski
The project is implemented by CoopTech Hub with financial support from EIT Food (Program AMPLE) in cooperation with MOST Cooperative oraz The Other Space Foundation.
