For nearly four decades, Luarsab Giorgadze stood before chalkboards in Zestafoni, a town nestled in Georgia's western Imereti region, teaching kids painting and art history. But when he finally set down his teacher's grade book, he didn't settle into retirement. Instead, he picked up a gardening trowel and discovered that his life's true calling had been waiting for him all along.
Today, Giorgadze tends four thriving tomato greenhouses that have transformed him from an educator into an agricultural entrepreneur.
"My only regret is not starting this 38 years earlier," he says. "At 65, I finally found true joy in what I’m doing."
Turning Love Into Livelihood
He started small, building a 300-square-meter greenhouse by himself and planting over 1,000 tomato plants. Soon after, he discovered that something he loved so deeply could also earn him a living.
Word spread quickly. "I don't take my tomatoes to the market," he says. "People come to me. Within a short time, everyone in the region knew about my tomatoes. So, I needed to ramp up production."
Luckily, Giorgadze got support from Accelerated Rural Development in the Imereti and Kakheti project, financed within the framework of the fourth phase of the EU’s ‘European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development’ (ENPARD IV) under the EU4Business initiative. With 15,000 Georgian Lari (up to 5,000 Euro) in hand, he built a second greenhouse.
Now he harvests over five tons of tomatoes annually, and his income has nearly tripled.
This project seeks to foster sustainable rural development by assessing the needs of local communities in target regions. It aims to boost tourism and agricultural value chains, improve vocational skills and capacities among rural populations, and promote comprehensive growth across these areas.
A Second Life
Over time Giorgadze’s work has diversified beyond tomatoes to include cucumbers, salad greens, and herbs. He's never missed a season, constantly seeking advice when his plants show the slightest sign of trouble.
"When I was a teacher, I wasn't this popular in my community," he says. "Now everyone knows I'm growing tomatoes, thanks to EU4Business support. I have to work professionally and maintain high-quality products."
The work has been transformative in unexpected ways. When he first started, Giorgadze was struggling with health issues. But the physical labor and sense of purpose seem to have revitalized him. "Painting was imaginary—this is something I can touch and feel," he says, comparing his previous job to his new passion. "It's so much better."
Looking ahead, he sees only expansion, continuous learning, and further development. For a man who spent decades nurturing students, he's discovered that nurturing plants offers a different kind of fulfillment. Sometimes life's most fulfilling chapter begins after you've closed the book on your career, he explains.
Luarsab Giorgadze is just one of the entrepreneurs financed. In 2024 alone, EU4Business supported 40,801 small and medium enterprises in Georgia. To learn more about how EU4Business is helping entrepreneurs, you can visit the website.
