While many young people seek opportunities abroad, Alex Culda has travelled in the opposite direction. Born in Austria but educated in Romania, the 29-year-old shows that farming in Romania can be done without loans, using green energy, top genetics and entirely local processing.

Alex Culda spent the first years of his life in Austria, where he was born and lived until the age of seven. He knew little about Romania before moving there permanently, having only visited his grandparents occasionally. After many years spent abroad, his parents, who are originally from Arad County, decided to return to Romania just as Alex reached school age. His mother, Delia, says she wanted her son to attend school in Romania.

The transition was surprisingly smooth for the child arriving from the West. 'Not only did I adapt easily, but I preferred living in my parents' village. I found a warmth and friendliness that you do not really find among Austrians, who are colder people. I did not have any very close friends there,' Alex told AGERPRES.

Although he could have chosen a comfortable career in the West or an office job after completing his university studies, his calling to work the land and his passion for animals proved stronger. His family had no tradition in farming. 'I was surprised when he chose to become a farmer, but I was pleased that he continued his studies as well. He graduated the Faculty of Animal Science in Timisoara. Eventually, when I saw that he wanted to build something from scratch, I supported him and got involved,' his mother says.

Like any parent, Delia admits that she would have preferred her son to have 'an easier profession, something in an office.' Alex, however, never imagined himself confined to an office. With disarming honesty, he admits with a smile: 'When I was younger, I hoped to become a rubbish lorry driver or operate an excavator.'

His passion for entrepreneurship began early. At around 16, Alex wanted to keep bees, so his father bought him his first 15 hives. This was the spark that set everything in motion. 'After about two years, I was producing a tonne of honey from 40 hives, which encouraged me. I realised that doing something independently could be profitable and started thinking about expanding,' Alex says.

His move into livestock farming came about through an idea suggested by a friend, who told him about the French Lacaune sheep breed. Together, they travelled to a farm in Austria to buy the first animals. He started with 25 ewes and a ram.

Alex explains that the breed was not popular in Romania at the time but proved extremely efficient, producing five times as much milk as Romanian sheep. 'It was a more exotic breed, but since then many Romanian farmers have chosen it. While our local Turcana sheep may produce around 300-400 millilitres of milk a day, Lacaune sheep can produce two or even three litres.'

Today, Alex is not simply a farmer who pulls on his wellington boots every morning. He is also the manager, technician and promoter of his own family business: the farm in the commune of Livada. He represents a new generation of Romanian farmers who are educated, analytical and firmly convinced that value is created through hands-on work.

His mother helps him at the farm every day and is closely involved in dairy processing, making products with the help of specialist equipment they have purchased. In total, they produce around 20 different sheep's milk products.

Getting up at seven in the morning and maintaining strict standards in the milking parlour are merely the visible aspects of the job. Behind the gates of the Livada farm lies a carefully calculated model of efficiency. Unlike traditional livestock farming, which focuses on keeping huge numbers of animals, Alex has prioritised quality. He maintains a small flock of around 60 Lacaune sheep. Every animal is monitored: only those with good lambing results and ewes producing more than 350 litres of milk per lactation remain in the flock.

However, the real key to survival and profitability lies in processing. From the outset, Alex refused to become a mere supplier of raw milk to large processors. In the small workshop at the farm, milk is turned daily into fresh curd cheese, vacuum-aged cheese, cheese spreads, other cheeses and artisan yoghurt.

Initially, the products were sold to neighbours, and word of mouth gradually expanded the customer base. Alex also promoted the business on social media, attracting an increasing number of orders. He began delivering throughout the county, taking products directly to customers' doorsteps.

A year ago, the young farmer also set up a small shop in the village of Sanleani, equipped with fridges stocked with products from the farm. Customers passing through or living in the village can walk in, help themselves and leave their money in a box.

'Nobody has left without paying. People take their own change from the box and, if they do not have enough money, they call me and tell me they will bring me the difference,' Alex says proudly.

The tranquillity of the farmyard is interrupted only by the gentle bleating of the sheep and the breeze sweeping across the fields on the outskirts of the commune, where Alex has developed his business on seven hectares of land. The farm was built entirely with family funds, without bank loans, and all profits have been reinvested in its development.

Aware that utility bills can quickly eat into the profits of a small business, Alex also invested in a photovoltaic power system with battery storage. 'I realised that a large part of my earnings was going towards paying utility bills, so I decided to invest in order to become energy independent,' the young farmer explains. On sunny days, the farm is entirely energy self-sufficient. Solar power runs everything from the milking equipment and milk cooling tanks to the refrigerated rooms where the cheeses are matured.

Beyond the visible success, life as a farmer in Romania comes with personal sacrifices and bureaucratic obstacles. Alex works at the farm from morning until evening, with only short breaks during the day to deal with other business-related matters. The work has brought a degree of social isolation. 'My friends do not really understand me. They chose different professions, such as IT. We have drifted apart, partly because I no longer have much time to socialise,' he says.

Although he loves his profession, Alex admits that there have been times when he wanted to give up. Dealing with state institutions remains a major burden for small producers. 'When I have to deal with an institution, things go wrong on two out of three visits. We do not receive financial assistance either. The Romanian state provides support only to farmers with at least 150 animals, without taking production into account and looking only at the number of animals. With 60 Lacaune sheep and good farm management, I produce more than a shepherd with 300 Romanian-breed sheep, yet I do not receive the same support. At the faculty, I learnt precisely that a small, properly managed flock can deliver better performance, but this is not reflected in the way state institutions operate,' Alex complains.

The young farmer also recalls with bitterness the occasions when he was fined for selling products directly at the market, despite having previously applied for a stall in the indoor food market and not receiving one.

Nevertheless, the idea of leaving Romania has never truly taken hold. 'There have been times when I thought I could move to Germany or Austria. Since I speak the language, I could have enrolled at a university there and taken a different path in life, but perhaps I would not have the satisfaction I have now, having managed to develop a family business. Abroad, I would only have been a farmer if I worked for someone else, because starting from scratch as an immigrant is difficult. Even buying a piece of land is hard, because local people have priority,' he says.

His decision to say 'I choose Romania' is based on the opportunities that the domestic market still offers. He believes there is room for innovation and growing demand among consumers for wholesome, locally produced food with authentic flavour.

When asked what message he would give to other young people, Alex firmly advises them 'to think twice before leaving the country.'

Looking to the future, he wants the farm to remain a family business centred on passion and a love of animals, without ambitions to become an industrial giant. His plans include continuing to improve the genetics of his Lacaune flock and expanding his range of matured cheeses. 'I have a small flock, but I wanted to choose quality over quantity,' he concludes.

Through his example, the young farmer from the commune of Livada demonstrates that Romanian agriculture need not remain trapped in the stereotype of hard manual labour or exclusive dependence on subsidies. With training in animal science, green technology and an entrepreneurial spirit, farming can become an attractive, sustainable and modern career choice in Romania today. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Marian Buga; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)

Photos:  Marian BUGA / AGERPRES