We are delighted to be taking part in Agroforestry Open Weekend 2023

Our farm

Our farm is a medium sized arable farm (80 ha) in southern Finland growing a variety of cereals. In addition to the agroforestry project, there is an established apple orchard with an adopt-your-own apple tree CSA program. The farm also has about 70 ha of forestry.

Our agroforestry

Our agroforestry project is a pilot successional silvoarable agroforestry system. We wish to document a novel system that focuses on the farmer supporting biodiverse plant communities to see just how far biology can go to restore a degraded agroecosystem.

Novia University of Applied Sciences is the project owner and we have a website dedicated to the whole system (link). The website includes a Timeline feature that is like a running blog for the project so you can get all caught up! The project manager, Joshua Finch, also posts on Instagram and Facebook with @Lill-Nägels Agroforestry. Starting in 2024, have started another agroforestry project called “Agroforestry in Nyland [Uusimaa]” which aims to help farmers across our region produce agroforestry case studies over the next three years, in addition to continuing to plan, monitor, and develop this site at Lill-Nägels.

Our projects are generously funded by the Finnish government, the European Union, Novia UAS, and, crucially, Jordfonden during our initial 1,5 years.

We aim to support biodiversity to restore soil fertility and profitable farming on our 8000 sq meter plot. As we do so, new opportunities for fresh fruit, berries, and some vegetables will become available directly to local customers through a CSA.

The main plantings were completed in spring 2023 and we are now in our first growing season for our trees as well as the second round of garlic.

The pilot project is now home to:

• Over 50 fruit trees (cherry, plum, pear, apple, peach)
• More than 90 fruiting shrubs (currants, apricots)
• 20 grape vines
• In addition, more than 30 kg of garlic seed cloves were planted (2800+ plants)
• The alleys and margins of the site include biodiverse cover crops, some of which are perennial

Our system has 12-meter wide alleys in which we are using biodiverse cover crops supported with foliar nutrients before switching to strip cropping of arable crops once the soil is sufficiently healthy to produce viable yields.

how to find us

You will find us at Lill-Nägelsintie 48 A, 02420 Jorvas, Kirkkonummi, Uusimaa, Finland

agroforestry open weekend 2024

Over Agroforestry Open Weekend 2024 we will be open on Saturday, May 18th from 10:00-12:00 and again from 13:00-14:00.

There will be two chances for a guided tour: we will start at 10:10 and 13:10. The tour will last about one hour. We will walk through the system together, point out how it is going, what has changed since last year, and have discussions about agroforestry.

REGISTRATION

Please register through Novia’s registration service by using the following link. There is no fee.

facilities/refreshments

No refreshments or toilet facilities provided.

parking/access

This is a working farm with residencies around. Please see the map (above) for where to park your vehicle and how to access the site. Joshua will be present near the parking (yellow box) at 10 and 13. We will leave the parking area at 10 minutes past the hour.

If you are arriving from the other side (Hirsalavägen, blue lines on map), be aware that you will need to cross a small stream without a bridge to reach the site. Please wait for us at the gate, or, just inside the fenced area near the irrigation sand filter and water tank.

Please wear clothes and boots which can get dirty! You will need to cross fields which may still be quite wet this time of the year.

dogs

No dogs or other pets please.

disability access

There is no infrastructure for easing access to the site for those with mobility difficulties. It is a 455 meter walk to the site from the parking area. Additionally, prepare to walk during the tour.

more information?

Joshua Finch
Email: joshua.finch (at) novia.fi

Project Website: www.novia.fi/en/lill-nagels
Facebook: Lill-Nägels Agroforestry Pilot Project
Instagram: lillnagels_agroforestry