At Ålands Trädgårdshall, we focus on high-quality, new technology and continuous product development to meet the demands for good, healthy vegetables.

We combine modern technology with a long tradition of agriculture and small-scale farming. We guarantee that when you buy our crops you can be sure to get the absolute best.

Ålands Trädgårdshall is owned by 120 Åland farmers. We deliver high-quality fruits, vegetables and root vegetables to stores through the major centralized stores.

The co-operative company was established in 1975 and serves as a consultant as well as a storage, packaging and marketing company for the company's growers.

Automatic and manual inspection

When you buy fruits and vegetables from Ålands Trädgårdshall, you can be sure to get the absolute best. For example, we use one of the world's most modern optical sorting machines for controlling the quality of our onions.

Every day, nearly 300,000 bulbs pass the optical eye which x-rays each onion to check that it is fresh and firm all the way through. As an additional quality check, all bulbs are also inspected by a person before delivery.

Good climate - less irrigation

Fruits and vegetables consist largely of water and require a lot of irrigation during cultivation. However, compared with crops imported from far away, the Scandinavian crops are considerably better. Choosing the apples grown in Åland is actually one of the best choices you can make. For example, growing a kilo of bananas requires 860 liters of water, but only 85 liters is needed to grow a kilo of Åland apples.

There are several reasons for the major differences in water utilization. First of all, the climate is cooler, which results in lower evaporation. Also, the soil is moister due to shorter summers and more rainfall. Our growers also use well-developed, accurate drip irrigation systems.

We turn the cold into heat

We save energy by utilizing the heat generated when fruits and vegetables are cooled down and then storing that heat in the mountain. We reuse our energy to heat our premises as well as to dry onions. This is a new technology which is extremely beneficial to both the environment and the heating economy.

Growing in greenhouses is a great way to retain solar heat and extend the season. Our greenhouse growers prioritize sustainable solutions. Some heat the greenhouse with wood chip boilers, others with geothermal heating. All in all, fossil fuels are rarely used in greenhouse cultivation on Åland.

Minimal plant protection products

All our products are clean and safe to eat. We use only the required amounts of plant protection products, and for many years, the residue in our crops has remained below detection levels or at a maximum of 5 % of the allowed limits.

Our growers work according to IPM, Integrated Pest Management. In the fight against pests and diseases, we apply primarily preventive measures as the basic principle in our Integrated Plant Protection. Pesticides are only used if the level of pests exceeds the maximum that a crop can resist.

The Nordic climate, with its short and intense growth season, is less favorable for pests, which reduces the need for pest treatment compared to southern Europe. Since the use of pesticides is strictly regulated and supervised by the authorities, crops are extremely safe for the consumer.

Growing a sustainable world

Conscious consumers, biodiversity and climate-smart farming methods are the key elements in sustainable food production. At Ålands Trädgårdshall, sustainability and environmental responsibility go hand in hand with quality. Our products are clean and safe to eat. The Åland family farms are small-scale and take great care of the environment. Behind each product, there are people who take responsibility for ensuring you purchase the best food possible.

Last but not least, - crops that are allowed to mature on their planting site and not stored or transported long distances also taste better.

Agriculture for generations

On the Åland Islands, there are long traditions of cultivation and a lot of knowledge in agriculture. Our farmers are proud of their family businesses - their knowledge and professionalism are the basis for our entire business. New generations take over rich, productive soils and the best cultivation traditions are inherited.

At the same time, agriculture is constantly changing. We at Ålands Trädgårdshall continuously collaborate on a long-term basis with the farmers and Åland cultivation consultants to develop new ideas and more sustainable farming methods - both economically and environmentally.

Our main crops

Onions

Every year we grow around 6,000 tons of onions - yellow, red and rosé onions, shallots, banana shallots and also organic red and yellow onions. Approximately 30 percent of all onions grown in Finland come from Åland. At Ålands Trädgårdshall, we pack and store the onions to keep them available for retailers and consumers all year round.

Åland is Finland's apple garden where over 70 percent of the country's apples are grown, more specifically 3,500 tons each year. Ålands Trädgårdshall delivers apples from around 40 growers in the Åland archipelago. Thanks to new, smart storage methods, our apples are in store from the earliest harvest in August until March.

Åland is actually too far north to grow pears, but thanks to our archipelago climate, we do it anyway. About 120 tons a year of juicy, sweet pears thrive in our cool spring, generous hours of summer sunshine and mild autumn. Our farmers do their utmost to achieve high-quality pears and extend the range of new varieties for the Finnish market.

Add more cabbage to your diet and you are guaranteed to feel better! In Finnish nutrition recommendations, an exclamation mark is actually used to emphasize the importance of eating more green vegetables - at least 500 grams a day. Åland'sTrädgårdshall offers Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, kale and fennel.

At Ålands Trädgårdshall, we receive and distribute 200 tons of root vegetables each year. They are an amazing staple food - cheap, useful and can withstand long periods of storage, which makes them available all year long. Root vegetables are usually grown in fields and therefore have less impact on the environment than greenhouse crops.

The mild and crispy iceberg lettuce is our most widely cultivated product with 200 tons per year. However, our farmers also grow delicious romaine lettuce and garden lettuce.

Our growers also produce nearly 350 tons of specialty crops annually. These include fava beans, kohlrabi, artichokes, pumpkin and other exciting new entrants on the Finnish market. Åland also accounts for most of the asparagus grown in Finland - a delicious seasonal harvest that can only be enjoyed from late May until Midsummer.