Since the dawn of time, Magnesia had a long tradition in women agricultural associations. In the rural areas, these establishments were the sole inspiration for women to create and be productive, as agricultural work and housework were their only occupations. Apart from the production of the products, the associations serve as a place to get together, exchange ideas and socialize with each other. For this reason, the agricultural associations are a prime example of female entrepreneurship in the Greek province. Pelion was one of the first places of Magnesia where these associations were founded! Jams, marmalades, spoon sweets, homemade liquors, pastries, herbs and pasta are crafted with love and passion from the women associations of Pelion, always with pure ingredients and organic raw materials. In the history of Magnesia, women’s cooperatives started off from the village of Zagora in 1993. The Women’s Agricultural Association of Zagora was the first women’s agricultural association, where fifty women wanted to utilize their traditions and work with enthusiasm and imagination, in order to produce the most authentic and genuine products in Pelion. Five years later, the Women’s Agricultural Association of Portaria was founded from the women of the community who wanted to exploit old recipes from their rusty drawers, and maintain the culinary tradition of their homeland. Pelion writes its own history in entrepreneurship since the imagination of the women is ready to produce the finest local products from the pure Greek natural environment!

A few meters away from the entrance of Vizitsa, the old school seems like it has sprung out from the classic reading book of first grade! Once you open the door, you nose will be filled with dazzling odors of vanilla and apple cooked in a casserole. From the old classes of the school, you will notice that remains only a blackboard and the seats that have been transformed into a spacious studio for the women to produce their goodies. The bright green racks, the cozy jars designed with love, and teaspoons of all tastes smell tradition, tranquility and feminine fragrance. Fifteen women from Vizitsa started their own tradition; they organize cooking courses, they produce excellent frumenty with vegetables and noodles, they create all kinds of spoon sweets with fruits picking themselves, they make unique mixes of herbs, they cook traditional pies and all festive sweets, and they have an imagination that can’t be beaten!

In November of 1993, the first women’s agricultural association of Magnesia was established in the lovely village of Zagora. Fifty women wanted to utilize their traditions and work with enthusiasm and imagination in order to produce the most authentic and genuine products of Pelion. Twenty-two years later, the association has its warm and cozy shop “Kafeglykopoleio” at the square of Agios Georgios where visitors can taste a wide variety of spoon sweets, marmalades, traditional sweets, homemade liqueurs and appetizers accompanied from local tsipouro. All of their products are fresh, made exclusively from fruits and local herbs of the region, with the authentic taste of the traditional Greek cuisine.

Founded in March of 1997, the Women’s Agricultural Association of Portaria was launched from the women of Portaria’s community who wanted to exploit old recipes from their rusty drawers, and maintain the culinary tradition of their village. At the same time, the association offered, to all the women of the village, ways to use their leisure time while contributing to family income. Today, thirty five women work for the association in one of the oldest showrooms of Portaria, where they manufacture traditional spoon sweets, marmalades and jams of all kinds of fruits of the region without the use of preservatives and colours. From raspebby, bitter orange, green apple (firiki) to bergamot, tomato and apricot, Portaria Women’s Agricultural Association knows all the secrets of producing the finest spoon sweets and marmalades. If you prefer traditional sweets, try the pecan pie, kantaifi and famous baklava, but if you are a lover of savory tastes, be advised that the association produces handmade pasta, frumenty soup and macaroni!

A group of women who give particular emphasis on fresh ingredients and excellent quality established the Women’s Agricultural Association of “Aniliotika” in 2000. Out of love and interest, they created their traditional laboratory in order to put their imaginative ideas together and produce the most delicious recipes of spoon sweets, marmalades and pickled vegetables.

Relying on their own forces, the Women’s Agricultural Association of Trikeri was founded in 2009. Nine women were the creative mind behind this establishment, who work hard every day in order to become better known in the world. The main aim of Trikeri’s association is the employment of women, the strengthening of the family income, the development of the country, the preservation and dissemination of the tradition through the production of healthy products and the quality of handmade products made with care and love. Women of this association follow a traditional production method, which is based on family recipes that the members used in their homes in order to produce spoon sweets, marmalades, jams, liqueurs, baklava, and cookies!