The village of Saint George (Shen Gjergji) is a beautiful escape from the busy modern city of Tirana, Albanian's capitol. Tucked in the Mali me Gropa mountain range, this historical place where the first school of Tirana county opened and also is where we have family. Our Albanian family has many roots there including the Cani (tsah-knee) family. Emiland Skora's mom and dad (mami and babi) grew up in this village and still have family there. The Cani's are his mom's side of the family and her brother and cousins are neighbors.
We write this post today to bring sad news but we hope that posting this can bring hope to the Cani family. Brothers Kalem and Enver Cani and their families lived in a cozy home next door to Landi's uncle. Unfortunately, a few days ago, one of the old electrical wires sparked in the walls of their over 100 year old home. Now, Enver, his wife Zenepe, their sons Elton and Arion, one of their daughters Ela, Kalim, his wife Fija, and their sons Arjet and Sokol are living between two small rooms between two neighbor homes in the country. These 10 people live off of $200 per month, which is the parents' pension from the state, so they do not have any money to spare to fix their home. Enver works in the mountain forests and does not work in the winter due to snow and other winter weather. Kalem is a tax driver between Tirana and Shen Gjergji but is unable to work through the winter months as snow closes the mountain roads. Also, Kalim and Fija's son Sokol recently broke his leg in three places and is recovering slowly.
Right now, they need to fix the roof in the house so they have somewhere to live as they are unable to stay with the Landi's uncle for the long term due to space (Landi's uncle has a wife, 2 sons, a daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and elderly mother in their family home). To fix their entire 2 story house, it would cost $10,000 USD. Right now, they literally just need a roof over their heads.
Please help them start their New Year right with a place to call home again. MI is taking donations to help this family. Any amount would be appreciated and 100% of the money will go directly to the Enver and Kalim's families. You can donate cash, check, or money order to the Cani Family care of Mediterranean Imports. You can also ship items to this family, if you prefer. Contact us at laureneskora@gmail.com for address information. Our Albanian family will be helping in the building of this home as well as local builders in Shen Gjergji.
MI will start by donating $100 towards their new roof. We hope that you are able to offer a gift to this family during the holiday season. Thank you for reading and pass this information on to all who can offer any means of support- financial and spiritual.
Gjithe te mirat dhe ju bekofte Zoti
"All the best and God Bless"
MI
Friday, December 17, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Great Reads About Essential Oils
Great reads for someone new to essential oils. There is so much to learn in this field so it is nice to have a go-to reference books.
Gjithe te mirat,
Gjithe te mirat,
"All the best"
MI
Silver Fir and Its Uses
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| Abies Alba |
Traditional Use of Silver Fir
Other Uses of Silver Fir
Silver fir is found as an ingredient in cough and cold pharmaceutical preparations and in remedies for rheumatism; it is commonly used as ingredient in room sprays, disinfectants, perfumes, soaps and deodorants because of its appealing aroma and its ability to banish unpleasant aromas. It can be used as an alternative to scotch pine.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Economic Growth and Trade February 2010
The article below indicates how USAID will be helping companies grow and develop with the country of Albania. This program is one of many helpful developing missions and is a wonderful asset to companies like MI.
Even since this article was written in February of this year, there have been improvements in the sectors mentioned below. The great thing about having organizations like USAID involved in Albanian development is that data collected can be analyzed and studied to determine how programs are truly affecting the industry and country. Websites like EuroStat contain trade and growth statistics but during the mid 1990s and before, the data is not necessarily reliable due to government transitions; hence, long term trends are not technically sound assumptions. Now that an organization like USAID, in addition to many others, is collecting and analyzing data, accurate and statistically sound recommendations and forecasts can be made about markets like the agricultural sector, specificially with essential oils.
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| Photo Credit: USAID/Albania Sixty percent of Albania’s labor force works in the agriculture sector, and the sector accounts for 23 percent of Albania’s GDP. USAID is helping Albanian farmers and agribusinesses increase productivity and competitiveness. |
Promoting Economic Growth and Prosperity
Before the effects of the global economic and financial crisis intensified in the last quarter of 2008, Albania had enjoyed an average annual GDP growth rate of 6.0%, thanks to continued macroeconomic stability and strong migrant remittances. The GDP per capita increased by 15.5%, from $3,429 in 2007 to $3,963 in 2008. However, the global crisis caused an economic downturn in early 2009, reducing Albania’s GDP growth rate to about 0.7%.The economy is expected to start improving in the latter part of 2009. Still, Albania remains one of the poorest countries in Europe and its per capita income is among the lowest in the Balkan region. High unemployment, low foreign direct investment (FDI), and a widening trade deficit are all causes for concern.Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the driving force for Albania’s economic growth and job creation. They account for 99.5% of private enterprises and about 75% of total employment in non-agricultural sectors. However, the development of MSMEs has been hindered by their weak competitive capacity, their limited access to commercial credit and the unfavorable business environment caused by unfair competition, and inconsistent application of fiscal laws and regulations. In addition, poor infrastructure (energy, communication, and transportation), disputable property ownership, and weak rule of law discourage domestic and foreign investments. Despite some improvement in its ranking, Albania still trails most other countries in the region in the World Economic Forum global competitiveness index for 2009.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
USAID’s Economic Growth program promotes sustained, broad-based economic growth. It aims to address the constraints to private enterprise development, decrease trade deficit, increase FDI, create employment, and reduce poverty. USAID will achieve the program objective through strengthening the competitive capacity of private enterprises; increasing access of MSMEs to credit; and fostering a policy environment that enhances business development, trade and private investment.
PROGRAM FOCUS
- Improving trade and investment capacity;
- Maintaining stability and soundness of the financial sector through improved supervision, risk management and regulatory environment;
- Strengthening regulatory capacity for the energy sector and supporting the privatization of Albanian Power Corporation’s distribution function;
- Increasing agricultural sector productivity and competitiveness;
- Improving private sector competitiveness through productivity improvement and workforce development.
Gjithe te mirat!
"All the best!"
MI
USAID Opens New Agriculture Information Office January 2010
Please see the article below about the office that MI has been and will continue to work with throughout its operations.
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| USAID Program Officer, Mr. Sean Huff (center) cuts the ribbon with President of the Agrifood Traders Union, Mr. Roland Hysa (left) and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Tokli Thomai (right), at the entrance of the new Market Information and Trade Facilitation Office in Tirana. The office is one of several programs supported by USAID to improve the competitiveness of Albanian agribusinesses. |
Today, USAID launched a new initiative to support the development of Albania’s agricultural markets. In a ribbon cutting ceremony at Tirana’s Wholesale Market, USAID official, Sean Huff, and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection, Tokli Thomai inaugurated the new Market Information and Trade Facilitation Office. The office, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection and the Agri-food Traders Union, will collect market data for select agriculture commodities, disseminate information regarding prices, availability and market trends to wholesale raders, and facilitate sales transactions between farmers and wholesale traders.
At the ceremony Mr. Huff described how the office would address several issues constraining the development of Albania’s agriculture sector.
“Timely and accurate market information is key to reducing uncertainty about market trends. It enhances competition among farmers, traders and consumers, and enables farmers to respond effectively to market demands,” said Huff. “Through programs like the opening of this new information office, USAID hopes to enhance the competitiveness of the Albanian products in domestic and international markets.”
USAID’s Albanian Agriculture Competitiveness program supports input suppliers, farmers, processors and traders to increase productivity, improve quality, respond effectively to business opportunities, and establish long-term business relationships.
Although the concepts of market information and trade facilitation offices are relatively new to the region, its application is expected to result in a significant increase in sales transactions and reduce the reliance on imported fruits and vegetables.
Initial steps have already begun to produce results. Since USAID and the Ministry of Agriculture launched Albania’s first multi-media information system in January 2009, SITA (Information System for Trade and Agribusiness) has been providing thousands of farmers and traders with daily wholesale and retail prices for 22 commodities from four major markets around the country. The information is sent through newspapers and the internet notifications and also broadcast throughout the day on two national television channels. SITA also produces weekly and monthly market analysis reports.
For more information about USAID activities to support the Albanian agriculture sector, please visit http://albania.usaid.gov/.
Link to original article
Gjithe te mirat!
"All the best!"
MI
USAID Press Release March 19, 2008
Please see the article below that indicates the recent growth and interest in the essential oil industry.
Participation at international trade fairs is making a valuable contribution to the bottom lines of four Albanian herb and spice companies handling herbs and spices, essential oils, chestnuts and mushrooms. Preliminary new export sales estimates based on contacts with over 350 traders from USA, Germany, Austria, France, Israel, Switzerland, Spain and Italy and Poland, are expected to reach approximately $1,070,000, a 21% increase from 2007. The AMLA, Tomadhea, Xherdo, and the Albanian Trading companies, all producing organically certified products, participated at the BioFach 2008 Trade Fair held on February 21-24 in Nuremburg, Germany. These companies represented Albania at the country’s exhibition stand made possible through the financial support of USAID, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumers Protection, GTZ, and SASA/Fible.
USAID’s contribution to BioFach 2008 enabled the Albania and participating businesses to take part in this important international organic production and trade fair. The companies established new trade links and strengthened existing ones and gained first-hand knowledge on the packaging, labeling, value adding and technology upgrades which will lead to further economic success of the companies and their support network.
Prior to the fair, USAID’s Enterprise Development and Export Market Services program prepared promotional materials for the exhibiting companies and the Albanian Essence Producers and Cultivators Association (EPCA). During the fair, the project facilitated business to business meetings with interested buyers and managed the stand. After returning to Albania, USAID will continue to provide vital follow-up support to develop business contacts initiated at the fair.
Link to original article
Gjithe te mirat!
"All the best"
MI
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| Photo Credit: USAID EDEM Project |
International Trade Fair Welcomes Albanian Organic Products
MARCH 6, 2008Participation at international trade fairs is making a valuable contribution to the bottom lines of four Albanian herb and spice companies handling herbs and spices, essential oils, chestnuts and mushrooms. Preliminary new export sales estimates based on contacts with over 350 traders from USA, Germany, Austria, France, Israel, Switzerland, Spain and Italy and Poland, are expected to reach approximately $1,070,000, a 21% increase from 2007. The AMLA, Tomadhea, Xherdo, and the Albanian Trading companies, all producing organically certified products, participated at the BioFach 2008 Trade Fair held on February 21-24 in Nuremburg, Germany. These companies represented Albania at the country’s exhibition stand made possible through the financial support of USAID, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumers Protection, GTZ, and SASA/Fible.
USAID’s contribution to BioFach 2008 enabled the Albania and participating businesses to take part in this important international organic production and trade fair. The companies established new trade links and strengthened existing ones and gained first-hand knowledge on the packaging, labeling, value adding and technology upgrades which will lead to further economic success of the companies and their support network.
Prior to the fair, USAID’s Enterprise Development and Export Market Services program prepared promotional materials for the exhibiting companies and the Albanian Essence Producers and Cultivators Association (EPCA). During the fair, the project facilitated business to business meetings with interested buyers and managed the stand. After returning to Albania, USAID will continue to provide vital follow-up support to develop business contacts initiated at the fair.
Link to original article
Gjithe te mirat!
"All the best"
MI
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Website Updates
Take a look at the improved website! It is a work in progress, but Costas is doing a fantastic job of making our ideas come to life. Thank you, Costas!
Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"
MI
Essential Oils During the Holidays
Found a great article on eHow.com that talks about you can use essential oils in your holiday celebrations. Take a look at a few of their tips below. Also, see the link listed here.
1. Set the mood before guests arrive by diffusing a blend of cinnamon, clove, and vanilla or orange oils. You can use clove studded oranges for centerpieces as well as aroma.
2. When preparing your home for guests, put a cottonball soaked in geranium oil in the vaccuum bag. This should help to eliminate pet odors.
3. Diffuse citrus oils like tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, etc. throughout your home but especially in bathrooms and bedrooms.
4. To dimish odors in your home, boil a large pot of water and remove it from the heat. Add a few drops of clove oil.
5. For relaxation and conversation starting, use blends like rosemary, lavendar, or grapefruit.
6. To get your bathrooms ready for holiday guests, use blends with lavendar and thyme essential oils. eHow.com recommends sprinkling a few drops on a small bowl of pebbles.
7. Keep your home illness free for the holidays with blends of eucalyptus, tea tree, or lavendar oils in a difuser or humidifier.
8. You can also use essential oils' natural properties to make natural hand santizer. Will post that in another post soon!
9. You holiday house guests will have a spa experience with this tip: place a small bowl of salts with a few drops of essential oil. Some great oils are grapefruit, rosemary and geranium blends, or juniper and rosemary. It is said that the juniper and rosemary are detoxifying and energizing for food hangover sufferers.
10. Adding essential oils to your bath water can aid with indigestion relief. Add two drops each of lavendar, grapefruit, and rosemary to a tablespoon of a carrier oil (almond oil is a popular one).
MI's price list will be available soon on our website. Soon you can purchase essential oils like rosemary, lavendar, thyme, and geranium to use in your home.
Hope you found these tips helpful and enjoy your holiday season!
To all our American readers, hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Gezuar Diten e Falinderimeve!
Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"
MI
1. Set the mood before guests arrive by diffusing a blend of cinnamon, clove, and vanilla or orange oils. You can use clove studded oranges for centerpieces as well as aroma.
2. When preparing your home for guests, put a cottonball soaked in geranium oil in the vaccuum bag. This should help to eliminate pet odors.
3. Diffuse citrus oils like tangerine, lemon, grapefruit, etc. throughout your home but especially in bathrooms and bedrooms.
4. To dimish odors in your home, boil a large pot of water and remove it from the heat. Add a few drops of clove oil.
5. For relaxation and conversation starting, use blends like rosemary, lavendar, or grapefruit.
6. To get your bathrooms ready for holiday guests, use blends with lavendar and thyme essential oils. eHow.com recommends sprinkling a few drops on a small bowl of pebbles.
7. Keep your home illness free for the holidays with blends of eucalyptus, tea tree, or lavendar oils in a difuser or humidifier.
8. You can also use essential oils' natural properties to make natural hand santizer. Will post that in another post soon!
9. You holiday house guests will have a spa experience with this tip: place a small bowl of salts with a few drops of essential oil. Some great oils are grapefruit, rosemary and geranium blends, or juniper and rosemary. It is said that the juniper and rosemary are detoxifying and energizing for food hangover sufferers.
10. Adding essential oils to your bath water can aid with indigestion relief. Add two drops each of lavendar, grapefruit, and rosemary to a tablespoon of a carrier oil (almond oil is a popular one).
MI's price list will be available soon on our website. Soon you can purchase essential oils like rosemary, lavendar, thyme, and geranium to use in your home.
Hope you found these tips helpful and enjoy your holiday season!
To all our American readers, hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Gezuar Diten e Falinderimeve!
Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"
MI
Friday, November 19, 2010
Bay Laurel and Its Uses
When we tell our families and friends that the first sales MI has made was of bay laurel essential oil, we have received inquisitive looks as if to say, "How would you use that?" To while earlier in the week we had a little geography lesson, today we will have an information session about the bay laurel leave and how essential oils of this plant are used.
You probably have seen wreaths of this in Greek mythology and Roman history. Another place where you have seen this is on the U.S. Dollar bill. You can see the leaf and the berries adorning the bottom portion of the oval with George Washington's face is held.
Bay leaves are used in all types of cooking for aromatics. It is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine as well as Hispanic, European, Indian, and Asian foods.
Essential oils from this plant are used for fragrance in soaps, lotions, and perfumes. In fact, one of our clients purchased our bay laurel for his perfume line. Also, it can be added to bath water to relax muscles. The steam can be therapeutic for colds and the flu. The oil is a great addition to massage oils for muscle relaxation.
Hope you learned something new! Happy Friday!
Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"
MI
Bay Laurel (Laurus Nobilis)
You probably have seen wreaths of this in Greek mythology and Roman history. Another place where you have seen this is on the U.S. Dollar bill. You can see the leaf and the berries adorning the bottom portion of the oval with George Washington's face is held.
Bay leaves are used in all types of cooking for aromatics. It is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine as well as Hispanic, European, Indian, and Asian foods.
Essential oils from this plant are used for fragrance in soaps, lotions, and perfumes. In fact, one of our clients purchased our bay laurel for his perfume line. Also, it can be added to bath water to relax muscles. The steam can be therapeutic for colds and the flu. The oil is a great addition to massage oils for muscle relaxation.
Hope you learned something new! Happy Friday!
Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"
MI
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Certified Organic Lands and Distillery Location in the Albanian Countryside
This post is a little geographical lesson about where MI's growing and operations will take place. Above is a map of where Albania is located in relation to other European countries. The red A bookmark marks Tirana, Albania, and shows the country's geographical location. To the west is Italy and to the north (going clockwise) is Montenegro, Kosovo in the northeast, Macedonia in the east, and Greece in the south. All of these maps are courtesy of Google Maps and their satellite view function.
The picture above shows the 15,000 acre area where our herbs and plants are grown for our essential oil production. We also offer wild grown varieties as well. The organic farms surrounding this land will all be used in conjunction with our crop. This is one of the areas in the Albanian countryside where we will operate, employ, and build our business to provide the U.S. market with the highest quality essential oils.
Our distillery will be located where the red rectangle is on the map above. Below is a closer look at the location in the small rectangle above. From the capitol city it is about 20 minutes drive southeast on Rruga Elbasanit. This literally means "Road to Elbasan" which is another large city in Elbansan county of central Albania.
Our distillery will be located where the red rectangle is on the map above. Below is a closer look at the location in the small rectangle above. From the capitol city it is about 20 minutes drive southeast on Rruga Elbasanit. This literally means "Road to Elbasan" which is another large city in Elbansan county of central Albania.
We will be posting the plans for our building and the new distillers we will buy for operations. Petrit Skora, Emiland's father and operational manager in Albania, has met with an architect and will send the blueprints soon.
Gjithe te mirat!
"All the best!"
MI
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Top 10 Countries for 2011
Jale, Albania- beautiful southern beach village. Stone beaches and crystal clear water.
We have known this information for the past 8 years, but Albania is one of the best places for travel. In fact, Lonely Planet now recognizes it as #1 in their list of top countries to visit in 2011. History, culture, mountains, beaches- really does have it all. Soon I will post some pictures from past Albania adventures from all over the country but for now, take a look at the article in the link below. Hope you get the travel bug and want to see our home country.
Albania is #1
Gjithe te Mirat
"All the best"
Any Suggestions?
Any thoughts on how to make the website better? As stated in the last post, the site is still a work in progress so suggestions are definitely welcomed. Currently it is formatted best for Firefox but over the next few days it should be good to go on all internet programs. Take a look at the first site under our "Links to Check Out" section. You can comment below or email Lauren at laureneskora@gmail.com.
Faleminderit edhe Gjithe te Mirat
"Thank you and All the best"
MI
Faleminderit edhe Gjithe te Mirat
"Thank you and All the best"
MI
Monday, November 15, 2010
Mire Se Vini! Welcome!
Mediterranean Spices & Imports
We are so excited to share with you our website for MI. This blog will be used to share our experiences as a new company, our adventures in product development, and information about what we offer. For now, please take a look at our website. All the pictures you see are of the certified organic land in Albania that is used to grow the herbs and plants for our essential oil line. The site is still in the works so please be patient during this time.
Mire Se Erdhet edhe Gjithe te Mirat!
"Glad that you came and all the best!"
MI
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