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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.

Mäkelän luomutila is an organic farm in Oitti, run by Satu and Simo Heikkinen, the second generation working the land organically. Their fields grow wheat, oat, rye, barley, spelt, peas, and fava beans. Satu and Simo mill and sell their own flours, alongside products from around 20 other organic farmers and EU-certified organic wholesale goods, supplying schools, co-ops, and customers online. The farm also manages its forests and sells wood. Since 2019, Mäkelän luomutila has run a monthly van delivery service, letting customers pick up orders along various routes without extra freight costs — making organic produce more accessible to the local community.

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.

Vakka-Taimi is a specialist seedling grower run by Vesa Muurinen. What began as a small hobby nursery has grown into a wide-ranging collection of trees, shrubs, vines, and perennials. Alongside their core nursery work, Vakka-Taimi is actively trialling nut-producing species to see how they perform in the Finnish climate. Testing and observation are a central part of their work. The Muurila gardens, first planted in the early 1990s, now host more than 80 species and are open to visitors. Throughout the year, the garden holds seasonal events such as magnolia, rose and peony days, sharing knowledge and encouraging curiosity around plants that might shape future growing in Finland.