Scaling Organic brought horticultural businesses together

On 9 September, The Development Centre of Võru County hosted the first seminar for horticultural businesses participating in the “Scaling Organic”. The aim of the seminar was to get to know the participants, map their main needs and interests, and further define the focus of the programme’s upcoming activities.

Kaja Kesküla, Project Manager at the Development Centre of Võru County, gave an overview of how the current project came about and what has already been done in Võru County to promote organic food.

Project Coordinator Silja Lehtpuu introduced the objectives and activities of the growth programme. The programme aims to support the development of horticultural businesses by helping them move towards organic or regenerative agriculture, increase production and the added value of their products, reach new customers, and build stronger cooperation networks.

The participating businesses from Finland and Latvia were also introduced, providing an overview of producers in the partner countries and creating opportunities for cross-border exchange of experience and knowledge.

Merit Mikk and Airi Vetemaa from the Estonian Organic Farming Platform presented the planned activities and work programme of the growth programme in greater detail. During the seminar, participants also introduced their businesses and discussed the topics and development needs that are most important to them.

“We are very pleased to see that businesses are interested in developing organic horticulture and investing in the growth of their companies. We hope that the growth programme will provide them with support for taking the next step in their development and that, as a result, more locally produced organic horticultural products will reach the market in the future,” said Merit Mikk.

A total of 15 businesses from Võru County and elsewhere in Southern Estonia are participating in the programme. The participants include berry and fruit growers as well as vegetable and potato growers. All participating businesses will continue with more individualised and in-depth development work.

From 2026 to 2028, the Development Centre of Võru County, in cooperation with the Estonian Organic Farming Platform, the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre, and the Finnish Organic Farmers Association, is implementing the “Scaling Organic”. The project is supported by the Interreg Central Baltic Programme.

Photo: Sten Mahov