Наталя ХандусенкоAround IT
4 August 2026, 12:05
2026-08-04
"Land lends itself to regulation no worse than code": a programmer founded a berry business on the land of his ancestors
Launching his own farm during a full-scale invasion and combining IT systematicity with agriculture — Maksym Melnychuk’s experience proves that business in Ukraine can develop even in the most difficult times. The man devoted almost 15 years to the IT sector, and a few years ago he decided to start a new business in parallel — organic blueberry cultivation in the Zhytomyr region. For him, this was a conscious step and a challenge that brought new life to the land of his ancestors.
Launching his own farm during a full-scale invasion and combining IT systematicity with agriculture — Maksym Melnychuk’s experience proves that business in Ukraine can develop even in the most difficult times. The man devoted almost 15 years to the IT sector, and a few years ago he decided to start a new business in parallel — organic blueberry cultivation in the Zhytomyr region. For him, this was a conscious step and a challenge that brought new life to the land of his ancestors.
"My main profession is a programmer. Almost 15 years ago, my friends and I founded a company that developed software for businesses in Ukraine and abroad. Over time, the company grew into an international one, and today it is successfully operating without our participation. I am still engaged in IT activities - farming has not replaced my main business, but has become a new challenge in parallel with it," Maksym told Suspilny in an interview.
A land with history
The plantation is located in the village of Markova Volitsa, and this choice was due to deep family roots, and not simply a search for a free plot of land.
“I would say that I didn’t choose Markova Volytsia, it chose me. My grandparents were born and lived here all their lives, and my research has shown that at least one of my family’s lineages has lived in this village continuously since at least the 1760s. That’s why the farm is called “Volytsia” — it’s literally a mark on the map of my family,” says Maksym Melnychuk.
The purchased plot was so overgrown with bushes that the house was not visible behind it. However, the idea of a berry orchard, which appeared in mid-2022, became for Maksym a conscious act of faith in the future of the country.
Source: Public
Over 4,000 bushes and jobs for the community
Today, the once neglected area has been transformed into a well-kept plantation. 4,207 blueberry bushes now grow on an area of over one hectare, and the farm itself is already in its third season of fruiting.
The development of agribusiness has also given a boost to the local community: currently, the farm provides seasonal work for 8 to 12 villagers.
Source: Public
Why blueberries?
The choice of berry crop was based on a very simple but reliable principle. Maxim immediately rejected strawberries because of their excessive labor intensity, and nuts because of his lack of personal interest.
“When the question arose of what to seriously invest resources and time in, I set myself a simple rule: grow what I would gladly eat in large quantities. Even before the idea for the business, the first 4 blueberry bushes were already growing on the plot, planted simply because I like them. The blueberries passed this test, and those 4 bushes became the beginning of a large plantation,” explains the founder of the farm.
Source: Public
How IT expertise helps in agriculture
Years of programming work have proven to be an excellent foundation for building effective processes on the ground. The agrarian has successfully transferred his experience in developing system software to the field.
"Probably, this is a professional deformation - I'm used to seeing chaos as an unfinished system that can be put into order. It turned out that the land lends itself to this approach no worse than code," shares Maksym.
Grant and future plans
To modernize the farm, the entrepreneur attracted UAH 350,000 from the "Own Business" state grant, with which he purchased pumps, irrigation control cabinets, filters, and a bubble system for a modern fertigation system.
Today, the berry farm is gradually increasing its volume - last year, over a ton of high-quality berries were harvested here, which are sold to Zhytomyr confectionery and organic stores, small wholesalers, and retail buyers.
In the future, Maksym Melnychuk plans to reach maximum yield by 2029, and within the next three years, expand the plantation by at least two more hectares, significantly scale up cultivation, and bring his blueberries to the export market.
SoftServe co-founder Taras Kytsmey is investing in dairy farming. He and his partner are currently building a farm for 2,000 cows and plan to purchase livestock in August.
