Kilpiä farm is a private research and education farm, which is managed by Tuomas J. Mattila (Assoc.prof Agroecology) and Iiris Mattila (MSc Microbiology). The farm develops and tests solutions for sustainable soil management and climate adaptation both in agriculture, forestry and agroforestry.
Some key technologies applied:
- everything runs on renewable fuels and solar
- combination of organic agriculture and conservation agriculture (no pesticides, no industrial nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizers, minimum tillage, continuous plant cover) since 2010
- soil compaction is minimized by 0,5 bar tyre pressures
- soil structure is actively managed by monitoring and adapting management
- plant health is monitored by soil and tissue testing to ensure adequate, but balanced and not excessive crop (and human) nutrition
- the field layout is Keyline planned to maximize water harvesting and to minimize erosion
- forest harvesting is on controlled tracks to protect the soil
- windbreaks and tree crops are planted to control water and wind erosion
We test and actively develop these further and disseminate information on field days and professional media.
Kilpiä farm is also one of the few places in Europe, where you can get coaching and education on Holistic Management, which we think is the best way to manage a complex, economically, socially and ecologically sustainable living farm. In 2018, the WWF recognized our efforts by presenting our farm with the Baltic Farmer of the Year award.
We aim for an agricultural renaissance for 2050: Active farms in beautiful landscapes, operated by skilled farmers and land managers. If you want to be a part of this, send us an email or come visit on a field day. (Also: If you want excellent grains, you can order them here .)
