A sunny winter day at the Mlinar farm in the Tuhinj Valley

Rok Koncilja is from the Tuhinj Valley. The farm, which he took over from his parents at the age of 22, is situated beneath the Menina Plateau and spans 20 hectares of meadows and 30 hectares of forests. They specialize in cattle breeding for meat, machinery services, and forestry, taking care of felling and gathering timber from the forest.

During our tour of the farm, Rok shared his enthusiasm for using Tajfun forestry machinery, which has been a part of his life since childhood. The first Tajfun product at the Mlinar farm was a horizontal log splitter, purchased by Rok’s parents. Later, a 5-ton mechanical winch was added. “I practically grew up with Tajfun,” he said, as he began to enthusiastically tell us about how he has always followed the company’s development, innovations, and new products.

“I practically grew up with Tajfun”

In 2014, Slovenia was hit by an ice storm that did not spare the forests of the Mlinar estate, causing significant damage. This was a major reason for the farm’s decision to purchase a new hydraulic winch EGV 55 AHK, which featured several improvements over their older model, with the radio remote control impressing Rok the most, as it allowed for easier and safer work. The Mlinar farm always ensures their machinery is up-to-date, and due to these improvements, the winch was replaced, so now they already have the fourth EGV 55 AHK winch.

In 2020, Rok decided to purchase the forestry trailer GAP 140 with a hydraulic crane DOT 50K.

During our visit, Rok demonstrated working with the forestry winch and trailer. He confided that using quality and efficient forestry machinery is crucial for successful and effective work in the forest.

Photo 1: Rok can’t imagine continuing his work on the farm without the Tajfun forestry trailer GAP 140 with an installed hydraulic crane DOT 50K.

He highlighted his extreme satisfaction with Tajfun’s forestry machines for their speed, accuracy, and productivity. The machines are user-friendly and perform excellently even on challenging terrains. This is precisely why the Mlinar farm cannot imagine working in the forest without a Tajfun forestry winch. Their fifth winch also facilitates wire rope feeding with a powered pulley, simplifying work across different terrains.

Rok tells us, “It’s hard to imagine going into the forest with a winch without a remote control and working with a mechanical winch like in the past. I’d rather do some other job around the farm,” he adds with a laugh. Besides the ice storm, the forest faces other enemies. The bark beetle attack is one. It’s crucial to detect and address it promptly. Collaboration with the district forester plays a significant role in sustainable forest management. The forester selects trees for felling in a way that does not devalue the forest and maintains all its functions.

For any future updates in machinery, Tajfun will certainly be the first choice.

As soon as Tajfun develops a new innovation or machine that could ease their work, they will turn to their sales department. When purchasing products needed on the farm, Rok values satisfaction with the products and their performance the most, and how well and effectively they serve him. The depreciation of machines and the economic aspect, such as the return on these investments, are not as important to him as satisfaction with the machine.

The Mlinar’s long-term vision is to maintain the lush diversity of the forests for future generations.

They take care of planting young trees where the undergrowth is not strong enough. Caring for nature means a lot to them, which is evident in their regular use of BIO oil. Rok also emphasized the importance of developing forestry machinery towards sustainability and environmental protection. In the future, he continues to see himself as a farmer and forester, primarily caring for his farm and cultivating local grassy areas. He wants to maintain a healthy forest without pests and with good, quality growth. If time allows, he will gladly perform additional agricultural or forestry services in the surrounding area.