All about peas: man and machine working non-stop
You reap what you sow. Rarely has a saying been more appropriate. On a pea farm in Finland, only these pod crops are grown. To be able to always supply customers with hand-picked, fresh peas, they are sown almost every other day. A cultivation method that requires a great deal of intuition.
Vesa Tammilehto's farm is located in Jokela in the middle of an agricultural region in southern Finland. In 1985, his parents started growing peas, initially on just a few hectares, the focus was on cereal cultivation. The area under peas increased every year. The turning point was about 15 years ago. At that time, between 300 and 400 hectares of cereals and 150 hectares of peas were cultivated. However, over a period cereal prices decreased – and at the same time, they noticed that the market situation for peas was very good and that there was quite some potential. “We gave up growing cereals completely and focussed on peas,” Vesa Tammilehto remembers. In the meantime, he has taken over the farm from his parents who still actively support him as does his wife. Peas are currently grown on approx. 400 hectares.
The role of peas in Finland
Peas have a long cultivation tradition in Finland and figure among the oldest cultivated crops of the country. The long, light nights in summer give the peas a special sweetness. This is the reason why fresh peas are often eaten raw as a snack. They are a healthy summer delicacy as they are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. Unlike in many other countries, the fresh pods can be bought in supermarkets throughout the season. Vesa Tammilehto estimates that 98% of the peas he sells are eaten directly as a snack and are not processed further. But they can also be used in the kitchen in many different ways. Pea soup is particularly popular and a traditional dish in Finland.
Up to 150 seasonal workers
Harvest mainly takes place between mid-June and the beginning of September. As soon as the peas are ripe, they are harvested manually and delivered to the customers. They only harvest the quantity that is required. Up to 150 workers are employed on the farm during the season to manage this effort. The focus mainly is on two pea varieties that are popular with the customers, but Vesa Tammilehto is always trying out new things: “This year, we grew seven different varieties. Our objective is to extend the season and at the same time improve quality. The varieties we harvest in the off-season usually are a little bit smaller. But customers prefer the larger ones, so we also try to find suitable varieties for the off-season.”
The yield varies considerably. Normally, they can harvest up to 3.5 tonnes per hectare, but it is impossible to give an exact figure: “We only harvest what we can sell. If the quality doesn't meet our requirements, we don't harvest the peas. If too many fields are ripe at the same time and we don't have enough staff or orders from customers, the peas won't be harvested either.”
The local conditions for marketing are ideal: “We live 15 kilometres away from Helsinki. Our region has the highest population density in the country. So the delivery distances are short. This means we can offer a good and fast service. If customers need more peas, we can react spontaneously and supply them with fresh products.”
The peas are sold to customers and markets throughout the province, including Tampere which is around 150 kilometres away. There is a dealer who sells the peas throughout the country. The sales season only lasts about three months. During this time, reliable logistics are crucial. “We hire vehicles for this period. It's important that they work properly so that we can deliver the fresh peas on schedule,” Vesa explains. On average, about 200 to 300 kg of peas are sold to the customers per outlet per day - in the larger outlets even up to a tonne. The prices for the final consumer vary enormously. On average, they amount to 7 to 8 € per kilo.
Avatar non-stop
At the start of the seeding season, it usually is rather wet. “We try to sow as much as we can and get all the varieties into the ground - on about 100 to 150 hectares. We also cover some varieties with fleece to protect them.” When the first variety are ripe, many helpers are required. The pods are comparatively smaller and therefore more difficult to harvest. “It's important for us to be efficient. So I can't employ 20 more people in the first few weeks. We have to take good decisions to make the most of the harvest,” Vesa Tammilehto says. To be able to deliver a constant supply of fresh peas, around ten hectares are sown every other day during the main season. It is crucial to select the optimum quantity that can be both harvested and sold.
To meet the diverse requirements of his farm, Vesa Tammilehto needs a reliable seed drill that works optimally in different conditions. Since this season, he has been relying on the HORSCH Avatar SL in combination with the front tank Partner FT to sow the peas. “I saw the machine at the Agritechnica last year and was immediately convinced.” Soon after that, the machine was delivered to his farm. “The seed drill includes all the qualities I wanted. The coulter convinced me. It is equipped with a catching roller that fixes the seed in the seed furrow, especially in dry conditions. At the same time, it the coulter pressure applied is very high.”
The different weather and soil conditions during the seeding season make particular demands on the technology. “During the season, we see everything - from heavy and wet conditions to dry periods. A reliable seed drill that achieves good results in all conditions is essential for me. The Avatar meets exactly these requirements. I also like the compact design and the fact that I can convert it quickly. I didn't want a trailed machine as it would be too long together with the tractor and as I don't need that much hopper capacity.” Moreover, the double hopper at the front allows for applying fertiliser and seed at the same time - an important aspect with regard to efficiency.
The weather plays a decisive role when sowing. “If the start of the season is wet, we have to be careful not to compact the soil too much as this would impair the growth of the peas,” Vesa explains. In the past, there often was heavy rainfall after the first seeding, but in the last three years, dry conditions prevailed. “We have to react flexibly to the different weather conditions. It sometimes feels like a game of chance to find the right balance. For cereals, you always make sure to sow them when conditions are optimum. That's not the case for us - we have to sow if it's only somewhat suitable. But we have good tools that allow us to handle all the challenges that Mother Earth makes us face.”
The first fields are harvested at the end of June. Then a catch crop is sown, for example mustard, to cover the soil until the next peas are sown. It is incorporated with a shallow disc cultivator before the seedbed is prepared with a power harrow for the next pea seeding season in spring.
Only peas
Vesa Tammilehto only grows peas on his farm but does not own any land. “We usually rent the land for three years. After that, we need other fields,” he explains. “When the business grew and the need for arable land increased, it was not easy to find suitable fields as many grain growers in the region also always look for land – a fact that drives up the prices on the market. We always rent for three years during which we only grow peas. It would be better to change the cultivated area, but then we would need 400 hectares of new land every year. That’s impossible. We currently rent 100 to 150 ha of new land per year. In recent years, we have been lucky that these fields were located within a ten-kilometer radius of our farm, but some are 70 to 90 kilometers away. This requires efficient logistics,” the farmer explains. Therefore, one important issue for him at the moment is to coordinate the tractors and machines in the best possible way.
“Every year, it is a big challenge to find enough land. Ten years ago, we had to take everything we could get. In the last five years, things got a little bit better. We were able to rent 50 or even 70 hectares from a farmer.” The condition of the fields is always a surprise: “You never know how the fields were cultivated previously. In this respect, we have seen quite a lot.”
Future prospects
Despite the many challenges, a clear objective has already become apparent when looking into the future. “I've thought a lot about what we can do,” Vesa Tammilehto says. “Let’s assume I would harvest 50 kilos more per hectare. That would make a big difference over the whole season. So we have to find ways to improve yield which is difficult because every season is different. A very difficult season is behind us where the weather often was really challenging. If we manage to increase our yield, we will have to rent less land and can, thus, save money which we can then invest elsewhere. At the same time, however, we cannot afford to change fundamental things from one day to the next as we always have to supply our customers with the quantities they ordered. Cost increases and the loss of subsidies also are an enormous pressure. So a sound management of the farm and the land is essential.” This statement shows once again how much intuition Vesa Tammilehto's decisions require to find a good balance between security and change in order to optimise things.