Lya 101 is an organic farm growing vegetables, eggs, herbs, fruits and flowers. Our goal is to provide high quality products to our surrounding area for as many months of the year as possible.

Our name, Lya 101, comes from the address of our farm. Lya means a den or a cozy place to a live and it definitely fits with our dream to create our own cozy edible paradise within our 6 hectars.

Community and environment are important to us. We would like to have a positive impact on carbon emissions by reducing the distance food travels to the consumer and by increasing the stored carbon in our soil. We hope this also benefits our community by keeping money spent on food in the local area and contributing to our region’s food sovereignty; all the while providing fresh, nutritiously dense products and revitalizing forgotten local cultural food traditions.

Our Story

Molly, from the U.S., always had a love for food, gardening and cooking. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2005 and spent the next 10 years working in professional kitchens in Asia. Jonas, from Göteborg, Sweden, was a sailor on tall ships. Jonas met Molly while visiting Cambodia where she was working as a chef. We were both looking for a way to have a carbon neutral lifestyle while earning an income and raising a family. After Molly spent a summer at Ridgedale Permaculture in Sunne, Sweden under the tutelage of Richard Perkins, we decided we could start a small farm and Sweden was the best place for us. We purchased our farm in 2017 and Lya 101 began.

Farming Practices

Our farming practices are inspired by regenerative agriculture; meaning every year that we farm our land, we seek to improve it. A few ways we can achieve this is through storing carbon in the soil, planting trees and increasing biodiversity.

No Dig/No Till

After the initial tilling to form our beds, we do no additional tilling. This increases our soil biology, limits weed seeds being brought to the surface, increases our organic matter and stored soil carbon. Keeping our beds covered eliminates erosion and the loss of top soil. Planting our crops with intensive spacing further reduces our weed pressure.

No Chemicals

We don’t use any chemicals on our farm. Instead we use crop rotation, attracting beneficial insects and biological pest control. We fertilize with composts and cover crops.

promoting biodiversity

A big part of “improving” our land year after year is to increase the biodiversity. Wildlife we have spotted here so far are hares, fox, deer, hedgehog, mink and a large variety of birds. We are very lucky to have the stream Suseå as the northern border of our farm and take seriously the protection of that habitat. By not using any chemicals and regular trash pickups, we try to keep our part of Suseå clean.

We will have beehives to pollinate our orchards and will practice natural beekeeping. To make sure there is food for bees and other pollinators throughout the year, we have planted and will be planting a varitety of pollen sources like willows and crocus (early spring) and late flowering wildflowers. Perennial flower beds, hedgerows and windbreaks also serve as habitats for butterflies, birds and other insects.

CULTURAL FOOD HERITAGE

The history of Swedish food is very interesting to us. We chose the rutabaga for our logo as we found it to be the vegetable that best represents Swedish food heritage. Check out the group Kålrot Akademie for more information (http://kålrotsakademien.se). If we can find great tasting Swedish old varieties, we are excited to grow them and pass them on to the next generation. If you have any tips about heirloom seeds or food production methods, please send us an email.

Our Farm shop

In our farm shop you will find a variety of products from our farm and our fellow Slättåkra Närproducerat members, Kyrkbygård and Hagarnas Mejeri. We have free range eggs, vegetables, cheese, flowers, meat, preserves and other handmade items depending on the season. Follow us on instagram to see daily updates.

Our farm shop is open:

OPENING HOURS

The farm shop is currently closed and will re-open at the end of May.

Slättåkra NäRPRODUCERAT

A PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE LOCAL AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY

Slättåkra Närproducerat is a partnership between several producers located close to each other that share core values- encouraging local food consumption, keeping money spent on food in the local economy, building community, reducing carbon emissions and having an overall positive environmental impact.
The cooperatives’ members’ products can be found for sale at our Farm Shop. For restaurants and other businesses, products from several local farms can be purchased as if from one business, delivered together and billed together; streamlining the process of supporting local agriculture.

Our current fellow members: