Zlatko Švec from Donji Hrašćan

These days, the yard of Zlatko Švec in Donji Hrašćan echoes with the familiar sound of corn grinding, which serves as feed for his chickens and pigs. He is among the few in the village who still keep pigs, and special ones at that, Black Slavonian pigs, also known as fajferice.

Zlatko is aware of the economic side of his hobby, but he emphasizes a value that cannot be bought. "To be honest, it's not profitable at all, but at least we know what we're eating. It's not a problem to buy, but this is still homegrown. No one can tell me that's not true. People just can't be bothered, but we still have the will," says Zlatko.

Quality over quantity

Although the meat of these pigs is highly prized, the yields are not large. "The meat is much better, and the cracklings are special. Even though there aren't many, at the last slaughter we got only a kilo and a half," admits Zlatko. It is precisely this authenticity of taste and the origin of the food that motivates him to continue raising them.

Memories of times past

While talking about the animals, Zlatko recalls the time when almost every house had a barn. "We had four cows and two horses. How times have changed," he says. The appearance of the village has also changed. Cows used to graze on common pastures, and there was a real struggle for the best grazing spots. Today, those areas are mostly overgrown because there are no more cows.

He also remembers Goose Street in Hrašćan. At its end, there used to be a small lake where geese gathered, and the street got its name from them. In winter, when the surface froze, Zlatko played hockey there with his friends.

Love for old tractors

Besides caring for animals, Zlatko's big hobby is restoring old tractors. In the yard stands an IMT 542 Deluxe, a tractor from the company Industrija mašina i traktora from the 1980s, which he restored himself. His favorite is a Steyr 288 from 1963, which his grandson Luka also enjoys riding.