A Small Business with Zeolite from the Rhodopes

There are many factors that could motivate someone to start a business. There are many reasons why a person might change their profession. Slavi Slavov is a physicist who has worked in optics. He developed an illness that didn’t hinder his work, but... met him with zeolite. The mineral that changed his life, and not only his. We will tell about the family business of Slavi and Ivanka Slavov and about the zeolite that is the key element in the expanding range of innovative products they are offering.

You might meet them at an exhibition somewhere in Bulgaria. There is always a big excitement around the small stand of the Farer company. And this is normal, since they eagerly explain to everyone the benefits of zeolite and the products in which it is present. While listening to them, you cannot help thinking that if everyone put their soul and heart in their business, they would surely succeed.

What Is It

Zeolite is a mixture of volcanic minerals, ash and alkaline groundwater, formed over millions of years. In Greek, the name of this rock means boiling stone. It contains potassium, magnesium, silicon, calcium, sodium, precious metals, but also clinoptilolite, which gives it miraculous properties for human health. It is claimed that the Bulgarian zeolite near the village of Beli Plast, Kardzhali region, has the highest content of clinoptilolite in the whole world. An interesting fact: In the middle of the last century, someone noticed that the people in the area of Beli Plast lived longer, got sick rarely, although they didn’t take much care of their health. A special team went there to make observations and come up with an answer about the factors that influenced the longer lifespan. They found out that the key was in the water that the local population was drinking. It passed though zeolite layers and that enriched it. Quality water creates quality environment for human organs, and like a natural sponge, it absorbs harmful components, shares the Manager of Farer.

Development

His health problem turned out to be the great chance of Slavi Slavov to find and develop his entrepreneurial strength. Under medical supervision, he started treatment with zeolite, and as a person of exact sciences, he carefully researched everything. When the miracle did happen and he recovered, his wife and he decided that the precious mineral should reach more people. They started packing small stones, then, they started offering it in the form of a powder. Later, they developed a powder that helped for the fast recovery of skin – in case of injuries and other irritations. They assigned an experienced technician to make antiseptic soup with zeolite. It quickly turned into a hit, and now it’s their most widely used product. Then came the time of the toothpaste. They went through many difficulties until they found the right team from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences that created it with the competence needed.

More and More

Face mask, capsules, zeolite powder enriched with herbs, microelements and vitamins... Of course, for each development, they trust only scientists and experts. And each product goes through “the eye of a needle” until it is allowed to reach the market. Among the products they offer, we can also see medical plants. They have the know-how of growing nettles and Calendula in a soil enriched with zeolite. Farer offers zeolite powder and seeds to small farmers who are ready, just like them, to try something new. They share their experience of how to grow plants and then they buy the finished production.

Innovations

The Manager of Farer loves experimenting and creating innovative products. The growing interest towards them by consumers is the driver for their family business and a motivation to walk the thorny path to the next novelty from their product portfolio. Slavi and Ivanka Slavov are firm that instead of exporting zeolite as a raw material by the company that only has a concession right to extract it, it would be better to turn it into value-added products that will make people in Bulgaria healthier.

Business is business, but the use of one product or another is a personal choice and responsibility. Yes, we are witnessing a growing tendency to use natural remedies for better health. And if zeolite is really a strategic raw material, more attention should be paid to it, including by Bulgarian scientists.