Farmers adopt organic methods as fertilizer prices rise

Finnish farmers are increasingly turning to organic farming techniques such as crop rotation and alternative fertilizers as rising costs push conventional growers to reconsider traditional methods, reports Yle.

Risto Mäkipernaa, an organic farmer in Kauhava, advocates for crop rotation regardless of whether a farm is organic or conventional. His oat field, interplanted with clover and other companion crops, demonstrates the benefits of diverse root systems that improve soil structure for future harvests.

“The soil here is moist at the roots, even though it hasn’t rained in a long time,” Mäkipernaa notes.

Sari Peltonen, a crop production development manager at Pro Agria, advises farmers to carefully assess which fields to prioritize for commercial crops amid soaring fertilizer prices. The end of rail fertilizer shipments from Russia to Finland has further strained supply.

Organic practices like growing nitrogen-fixing plants—such as clover, peas, and beans—can reduce fertilizer needs by up to 50 kilograms per hectare the following year, according to Peltonen. Janne Rauhansuu, chair of the Organic Association, also recommends these crops to cut fertilizer use and address grain overproduction, which suppresses market prices.

Mäkipernaa, who switched to organic farming in 1995, now uses crushed plants and organic fertilizers like pelleted chicken manure instead of cattle manure. He emphasizes the potential of recycled fertilizers, which improve soil structure, unlike chemical alternatives that can degrade soil microbiology.

“There’s no need to be ashamed of these methods anymore, as there might have been 30 years ago,” Mäkipernaa says.