Local Produce Centre in Rzuchowa

The Local Produce Centre in Rzuchowa was built on the site of an old carriage house beside the manor barn, at the heart of one of the most extensive surviving manor-and-park estates in the Małopolska region. It is run by farmers from the Grupa OD ROLNIKA association ("From the Farmer"), who want to show where food really comes from. It is a place for shopping from local producers, workshops and environmental education — not a museum with a daily visitor route.

History: farmers, not investors

The centre opened on 22 August 2015 in Rzuchowa, in Pleśna municipality near Tarnów. The association built it itself, receiving almost PLN 300,000 from the EU's LEADER programme and covering the rest from its own funds. From the start the aim was educational: the building has lecture rooms, and next to it a garden and a small field where participants can sow, plant and tend crops. The founders described it as the first place of its kind in Małopolska; even before the official opening it hosted organic kindergarten teachers from Norway.

What you will find

• A small shop and order pick-up point with produce from farmers in Małopolska and the Świętokrzyskie region, as part of the "Paczka od Rolnika" ("Parcel from the Farmer") scheme.
• Workshops on organic growing and healthy eating, aimed mainly at children and young people.
• Tastings of dishes made to traditional recipes from local rural women's associations.
• Promotion of old plant varieties and traditional livestock breeds.

The Rzuchowa manor

The centre stands next to a historic 17th-century manor house on a rise, surrounded by a 19th-century park of 1.7 hectares; the grounds around the park cover more than 15 hectares. On the eve of the January Uprising of 1863 against Russian rule, the manor was one of the gathering points for volunteers, and in 1914 it was occupied by an Austrian army staff. Today the manor buildings house a children's care facility, so you can only see the house from outside.

Tripto tip

Address: Rzuchowa 1A, 33-114 Rzuchowa. "Paczka od Rolnika" orders can be collected in person on Tuesdays from 18:00 to 20:00, and must be placed at least a day and a half in advance. The office answers the phone Monday to Friday, 8:00–16:00 (tel. +48 603 995 610). Arrange workshops for groups and schools in advance — allow 1.5–2 hours for a visit with a session.