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Green Beanie is the craft soda range from Under Ytan, a mariculture company growing algae and seaweed in Åland. The team—Joel Lindholm, Viktor Eriksson, Johan Törnqvist, and Anders Ingves—has experimented with different products from microalgae and seaweed, and this is their first line of drinks. Their Gutweed and Bladderwrack sodas are named after two common seaweeds from the northern archipelago, blended with hops, sugar, spices, vinegar, and citrus. The result is a craft soda with a subtle mineral edge, carrying a hint of the sea.

Hongola Gård, owned by the Furuhjelm family, is an organic livestock farm in Urjala. The farm has reared cattle for over 300 years on the estate’s forest pastures, and still today the cows are permitted to move around these areas freely between spring and autumn. In 2017 the family introduced Black Angus cows, a Scottish breed, which are fed only naturally grown field grass. That means that the meat is formally classified as “grass-fed beef”. The farmhouse itself dates back to the 1600s, and is said to have inspired the Under the North Star trilogy by Väinö Linna, whose mother worked in the house. Hongola Gård hosts an annual harvest festival with local artisans and producers open for visitors.

Sanna Reponen is a small-scale organic farmer in Sulkava, growing garlic across almost her entire 500 square meter plot. She also produces small amounts of oats and feed for a neighbouring organic dairy farm. Her garlic is highly sought after, often sold out before the next season even begins. Sanna keeps a low profile online and on social media, earning her the mysterious nickname “the invisible farmer.”

Under Ytan works with algae and seaweed in Åland, with the aim of shifting how the Baltic Sea is seen and cared for. The team – Joel Lindholm, Viktor Eriksson, Johan Törnqvist and Anders Ingves – is developing a mariculture project in Björkskär, growing macroalgae and seaweed, with plans to include mussels as the system grows. They’re currently moving from prototypes towards a full farming setup. The work supports biodiversity while producing food at the same time, something the team enjoys exploring in the kitchen, from sesame-fried Ulva with chilli to sea truffle mayonnaise.