Estonian farms open gates to city visitors on Open Farm Day

Across Estonia, hundreds of farms opened their gates during the weekend, inviting city dwellers to step beyond the supermarket shelf and discover where local food, flowers and rural traditions are born, reported Xinhua.

This year, 300 farms took part in Estonia's Open Farm Day, offering visitors a glimpse into livestock farming, fruit and vegetable cultivation, beekeeping, winemaking, brewing, milling, and baking in the country.

In northeastern Estonia, one of the most popular destinations was Luganuse Lilleaed, or Luganuse Flower Garden, a small family-run farm in Ida-Viru County. Visitors came not only from nearby towns, but even from Estonia's distant islands, drawn by the reputation of a farm that last year was named the country's Best Alternative Farm.

Founded in 2017 in the small borough of Luganuse, the farm began with summer flowers. Several greenhouses were built to support the business, which now offers a wide range of seasonal blooms, roses, and other perennials.

Farm owner Villu Partna said the family's ambitions gradually expanded beyond flowers. In 2021, they converted part of an old dairy building into a small juice production facility.

"Our most popular product is tomato juice made according to my grandmother's recipe, and the tomatoes we use are grown here on our own farm," Partna said. "Every autumn, we also offer an apple-pressing service in our juice house."

A couple of years later, the farm added another branch to its growing rural enterprise: its own winery.

Alongside the orchard, the Partna family has also established a large vineyard, where 29 varieties of grapes are now growing. Because of Estonia's northern climate, the grapes are cultivated in greenhouses with independent heating, allowing the fruit to ripen properly.

As a result, the farm's wine list includes not only wines made from berries traditionally grown in Estonia, such as different varieties of currants, but also grape wines.

Estonia's Open Farm Day has been held for 11 years and is organized by the Ministry of Rural Affairs.

For many urban visitors, the event is not only a chance to meet farmers and see how rural businesses work, but also an opportunity to buy products that are rarely found in large supermarket chains.