A magnet on the fridge proudly reads “Kraków” and I ask if that is where they’re originally from. Both Konrad and Monika reply they are. I go on to inform them that for a spell I lived there once.
Immediately they want to know where, and the answer, “In the city centre” doesn’t do it for them. Incredibly self-conscious of my Polish, I attempt to pronounce the name of the square in which I lived.
Konrad knows it and says his grandmother used to bring him to the market there as a child. He remembers all the fresh produce and craning on his tippy toes to look at the vegetables up on the stalls.
Clearly, his interest in veg started from a very young age.
You see, this is the story of how Konrad and Monika went from Kraków to Clonmel and into countryside market gardening.
Stacking to supplying
Konrad Szeterlak and Monika Grabowska moved from Poland to Ireland 13 years ago, settling in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, with their then small baby Dawid – who is now nearly 15 and has a keen interest in Gaelic football, playing with Kilsheelan/Kilcash GAA.
When they first arrived, Konrad worked in construction, but soon after the recession hit and he got a job in the local SuperValu in Clonmel.
Slievenamon View Farm in the summer.
He started off stocking shelves and worked his way up to duty manager with responsibility for fruit and veg – starting to see a trend here? Monika was – and still is – a photographer.
In this retail role Konrad came across Rory Magorrian from outside Fermoy. He supplied the shop with organic vegetables, primarily salad leaves and proved to be a very influential figure for the couple’s future venture.
“Rory used to come into SuperValu Clonmel, to all the shops in Tipperary, stocking mixed-leaf salad, courgettes and other veggies. He was doing basically the same thing we’re doing now – we copied him. He wanted to scale back his business and when he dropped out of the shop, there were people coming in every week asking for those organic vegetables we used to have.
“I wasn’t really happy as a retail assistant. I was working Saturdays, Sundays and late evenings. When Rory dropped out of SuperValu, Monika and I were like, maybe we could do it – why not?”
Monika.
By this time they had moved out of Clonmel town and into the countryside. After years of living in terraced houses, they wanted some space. So they began renting a house on Gurteen Farm outside Kilsheelan.
“We found this place straight away and we fell in love with it. We probably fell in love with the surroundings more than the house, the country setting,” says Monika, who straight away began growing tomatoes and cucumbers in her new garden.
Even though it was through Konrad’s time in retail the idea of market gardening came about, it was residing on Gurteen Farm that made this possible. Previously the owners used to grow vegetables to sell at farmers’ markets, so there was a history of it on the land.
Also, part of the farm was already certified organic, so renting this land they didn’t have to wait two years to achieve the status. Thus, they went on to rent one acre, the one they’re still working off, the same one acre that produced 3.6t of vegetables in 2019.
“The landlord was delighted it was going to be used in the way she used to use it 10 or 15 years back. She loved the idea, right from the start she was our biggest supporter,” recalls Konrad.
Slievenamon View Farm in the summer. \ Monika Grabowska
“When there was a compost delivery she would help us unload it with the tractor. The very first time we went into the field I got bogged in my Passat, she pulled me out with the tractor; because we went into this without having anything – a jeep, a van, a trailer, nothing – just the two of us and an idea.”
Starting small and simple
With a plan taking shape, Konrad decided to sit down with his boss in SuperValu and put his cards on the table.
“I said that I would be leaving, explained what I was going doing and said if you want to keep me part time, I’ll do that. 
He was devastated that I wanted to leave, but said, ‘I hope we’re going to be the very first place you supply’. So we had our most important client already.
“That was the start of 2017. I went part time for almost a year and half, then finished up. Since then, it’s been 24/7. No holidays. I haven’t been on holidays for five years. Monika managed to go to Tenerife with our son in 2018.”
That first year from January to June, Konrad went on an organic growers’ course. They also got their infrastructure in place, building two polytunnels to start with. This allowed them to grow what has become their bread and butter, mixed salad leaves, year round.
Rory chipped in too at this crucial stage, providing some invaluable advice.
“We were tutored by Rory and on his advice we started with four simple products; mixed salad leaves, spinach, kale, rocket and romaine. He said do these four and do them well. Most people when they go into market gardening, make the mistake of growing too many things.
Dawid in the polytunnels during the summer.\ Monika Grabowska
“We just focused on the varieties that have the biggest yields. They grow fast, the days to maturity are the shortest. You keep going and keep growing throughout the year in the polytunnels.”
Up at the polytunnels there is a fantastic view of Slievenamon, hence the name Sleivenamon View Farm. Konrad demonstrates the difference between harvesting salad leaves in summer and winter.
At this time of year it’s painstaking work – especially on the back – you have to cut off the three or four biggest leaves on the outside of the head and wait for it to grow out again. In the summer you can cut the whole head and it’ll grow back again up to three times.
Since their first year they have expanded in both size and range. They built two larger polytunnels and bought a refrigerated van for deliveries.
After their first year growing they introduced courgettes, herbs and cherry tomatoes. In 2019, they added green beans to their repertoire. They plan on adding carrots as well as one or two more vegetables and leaving it at that.
Last year they completed SuperValu’s Food Academy programme, which expanded their stockists. They went from supplying three SuperValu branches to eight. Konrad feels his retail background really helps in dealing with the shops, as he knows what they’re looking for.
Monika still works as a full-time/part-time photographer – she’s unsure what category she falls into at the moment – balancing it as best she can with the market gardening.
Slievenamon and Spain
Both Konrad and Monika are very happy with how Slievenamon View Farm has grown over the past three years. At present, they’re looking to buy their own house with a few acres.
“All the hard work we put in over the last few years, we’re in a position to get a place of our own,” says Konrad. “We’re looking for around five acres and definitely want to stay in this area.
“We would love to finally have a place of our own, that we can put our own stamp on. It would be nice and it’s something we’re looking forward to seeing, that this why we’re working so hard.”
Naturally, the couple and their son have put down a lot of roots, but living on the Tipperary/Waterford border, what persuasion are those roots?
“Technically we’re in Waterford here, because everything south of the River Suir is Waterford, but the postal address is Tipperary. When you ask anyone about Kilsheelan, it’s Tipp. When it comes to hurling, we’re Tipp,” laughs Konrad.
Konrad, Monika and Dawid before the 2019 hurling All-Ireland.
The couple say they could never see themselves moving back to Poland, that they really embraced Irish culture 13 years ago when they came here. But, there is one place abroad they would consider.
“The only place we would move, like every other Irish person, is to Spain, because it’s so sunny over there. In that way, we’re becoming kind of Irish. On a winter’s evening when we’re sitting in, we always say, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to be in Lanzarote trying to grow melons’.”
Read more
Marching to her own beet
Cover feature: Farming Halloween in Galway
A magnet on the fridge proudly reads “Kraków” and I ask if that is where they’re originally from. Both Konrad and Monika reply they are. I go on to inform them that for a spell I lived there once.
Immediately they want to know where, and the answer, “In the city centre” doesn’t do it for them. Incredibly self-conscious of my Polish, I attempt to pronounce the name of the square in which I lived.
Konrad knows it and says his grandmother used to bring him to the market there as a child. He remembers all the fresh produce and craning on his tippy toes to look at the vegetables up on the stalls.
Clearly, his interest in veg started from a very young age.
You see, this is the story of how Konrad and Monika went from Kraków to Clonmel and into countryside market gardening.
Stacking to supplying
Konrad Szeterlak and Monika Grabowska moved from Poland to Ireland 13 years ago, settling in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, with their then small baby Dawid – who is now nearly 15 and has a keen interest in Gaelic football, playing with Kilsheelan/Kilcash GAA.
When they first arrived, Konrad worked in construction, but soon after the recession hit and he got a job in the local SuperValu in Clonmel.
Slievenamon View Farm in the summer.
He started off stocking shelves and worked his way up to duty manager with responsibility for fruit and veg – starting to see a trend here? Monika was – and still is – a photographer.
In this retail role Konrad came across Rory Magorrian from outside Fermoy. He supplied the shop with organic vegetables, primarily salad leaves and proved to be a very influential figure for the couple’s future venture.
“Rory used to come into SuperValu Clonmel, to all the shops in Tipperary, stocking mixed-leaf salad, courgettes and other veggies. He was doing basically the same thing we’re doing now – we copied him. He wanted to scale back his business and when he dropped out of the shop, there were people coming in every week asking for those organic vegetables we used to have.
“I wasn’t really happy as a retail assistant. I was working Saturdays, Sundays and late evenings. When Rory dropped out of SuperValu, Monika and I were like, maybe we could do it – why not?”
Monika.
By this time they had moved out of Clonmel town and into the countryside. After years of living in terraced houses, they wanted some space. So they began renting a house on Gurteen Farm outside Kilsheelan.
“We found this place straight away and we fell in love with it. We probably fell in love with the surroundings more than the house, the country setting,” says Monika, who straight away began growing tomatoes and cucumbers in her new garden.
Even though it was through Konrad’s time in retail the idea of market gardening came about, it was residing on Gurteen Farm that made this possible. Previously the owners used to grow vegetables to sell at farmers’ markets, so there was a history of it on the land.
Also, part of the farm was already certified organic, so renting this land they didn’t have to wait two years to achieve the status. Thus, they went on to rent one acre, the one they’re still working off, the same one acre that produced 3.6t of vegetables in 2019.
“The landlord was delighted it was going to be used in the way she used to use it 10 or 15 years back. She loved the idea, right from the start she was our biggest supporter,” recalls Konrad.
Slievenamon View Farm in the summer. \ Monika Grabowska
“When there was a compost delivery she would help us unload it with the tractor. The very first time we went into the field I got bogged in my Passat, she pulled me out with the tractor; because we went into this without having anything – a jeep, a van, a trailer, nothing – just the two of us and an idea.”
Starting small and simple
With a plan taking shape, Konrad decided to sit down with his boss in SuperValu and put his cards on the table.
“I said that I would be leaving, explained what I was going doing and said if you want to keep me part time, I’ll do that.
He was devastated that I wanted to leave, but said, ‘I hope we’re going to be the very first place you supply’. So we had our most important client already.
“That was the start of 2017. I went part time for almost a year and half, then finished up. Since then, it’s been 24/7. No holidays. I haven’t been on holidays for five years. Monika managed to go to Tenerife with our son in 2018.”
That first year from January to June, Konrad went on an organic growers’ course. They also got their infrastructure in place, building two polytunnels to start with. This allowed them to grow what has become their bread and butter, mixed salad leaves, year round.
Rory chipped in too at this crucial stage, providing some invaluable advice.
“We were tutored by Rory and on his advice we started with four simple products; mixed salad leaves, spinach, kale, rocket and romaine. He said do these four and do them well. Most people when they go into market gardening, make the mistake of growing too many things.
Dawid in the polytunnels during the summer.\ Monika Grabowska
“We just focused on the varieties that have the biggest yields. They grow fast, the days to maturity are the shortest. You keep going and keep growing throughout the year in the polytunnels.”
Up at the polytunnels there is a fantastic view of Slievenamon, hence the name Sleivenamon View Farm. Konrad demonstrates the difference between harvesting salad leaves in summer and winter.
At this time of year it’s painstaking work – especially on the back – you have to cut off the three or four biggest leaves on the outside of the head and wait for it to grow out again. In the summer you can cut the whole head and it’ll grow back again up to three times.
Since their first year they have expanded in both size and range. They built two larger polytunnels and bought a refrigerated van for deliveries.
After their first year growing they introduced courgettes, herbs and cherry tomatoes. In 2019, they added green beans to their repertoire. They plan on adding carrots as well as one or two more vegetables and leaving it at that.
Last year they completed SuperValu’s Food Academy programme, which expanded their stockists. They went from supplying three SuperValu branches to eight. Konrad feels his retail background really helps in dealing with the shops, as he knows what they’re looking for.
Monika still works as a full-time/part-time photographer – she’s unsure what category she falls into at the moment – balancing it as best she can with the market gardening.
Slievenamon and Spain
Both Konrad and Monika are very happy with how Slievenamon View Farm has grown over the past three years. At present, they’re looking to buy their own house with a few acres.
“All the hard work we put in over the last few years, we’re in a position to get a place of our own,” says Konrad. “We’re looking for around five acres and definitely want to stay in this area.
“We would love to finally have a place of our own, that we can put our own stamp on. It would be nice and it’s something we’re looking forward to seeing, that this why we’re working so hard.”
Naturally, the couple and their son have put down a lot of roots, but living on the Tipperary/Waterford border, what persuasion are those roots?
“Technically we’re in Waterford here, because everything south of the River Suir is Waterford, but the postal address is Tipperary. When you ask anyone about Kilsheelan, it’s Tipp. When it comes to hurling, we’re Tipp,” laughs Konrad.
Konrad, Monika and Dawid before the 2019 hurling All-Ireland.
The couple say they could never see themselves moving back to Poland, that they really embraced Irish culture 13 years ago when they came here. But, there is one place abroad they would consider.
“The only place we would move, like every other Irish person, is to Spain, because it’s so sunny over there. In that way, we’re becoming kind of Irish. On a winter’s evening when we’re sitting in, we always say, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to be in Lanzarote trying to grow melons’.”
Read more
Marching to her own beet
Cover feature: Farming Halloween in Galway
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: