How We Grow Our Ingredients at Frantsila
The fields of Hämeenkyrö have been lovingly tended by the same family for hundreds of years. Agronomists Virpi Raipala-Cormier and James Cormier have farmed Virpi’s family lands using organic methods since the 1980s. Today, the tenth generation—Jupiter and Valo Cormier—continues to cultivate the fields following the principles of regenerative farming.
Thriving Ecosystems Through Regenerative Organic Farming
Regenerative farming, also known as carbon farming, focuses on sequestering carbon dioxide into the soil. A key principle is minimal soil disturbance. Continuous deep plowing exposes soil microorganisms to the surface, where they are destroyed by sunlight, leading to soil degradation and carbon release. To prevent this, we keep our fields covered with plants to protect the soil from the sun and prevent nutrient runoff during rainfall.
We also improve the soil with grass and green manure, which provides food for microorganisms and enriches the soil. Additionally, we plant cover crops among our grain fields, ensuring that the fields remain covered even in the fall. Currently, about 95% of our fields are covered with vegetation. We also promote biodiversity beyond the fields by maintaining wildflower meadows. Crop rotation and a pesticide-free approach are fundamental to our farming practices.
Our goal is to farm in a way that enriches the soil rather than depletes it. We aim to create thriving ecosystems that support both people and pollinators. Carbon farming enhances soil structure, increases biodiversity, prevents erosion, and combats climate change—all while yielding larger, more nutrient-dense crops that provide highly effective, phytotherapeutic ingredients for our products.
The Organic Plants We Grow
We cultivate over 20 different herbs and native plants that we use in our products. Our total farming area is around 24 hectares, with approximately 3.5 hectares dedicated to the cultivation of herbs and wild plants. In addition to field-grown plants, we harvest herbs and wild plants from areas outside our fields, bringing our total variety to nearly 30 species. We are also able to forage from our certified organic forest, which spans 73 hectares.
At Frantsila, our growing season begins in the spring, after Easter, with seedling cultivation. Around 20,000 new plants are started from seed in our greenhouse. By midsummer, we transplant the seedlings into the fields. During bloom, our herb fields are buzzing with bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. We begin harvesting in the summer, and the season extends well into the fall.
Through regenerative farming, we cultivate not just crops, but flourishing ecosystems.
