In 2022, the focus of the Cultivation Academy 2.0 was on courses supplemented by lectures, workshops, garden tours and study visits. The second year of the project revolves entirely around the shorter activities.
We have conducted several lectures and garden tours with a focus on growing for self-sufficiency. Eva Ekenberg lectured in Virserum during Småland's Garden Spring Festival and Hillevi Helmfrid lectured in Ruda. Eva also lectured about growing your own seeds in collaboration with Mariannelund's library and Hillevi invited to a tour of her garden outside Vimmerby: Growing for household needs.
Anders Lundmark also showed off his garden and offered samples from it. In addition to vegetables, fruit and berries are an important part of the cultivation for household needs. Björn Westeson had a workshop in grafting during the spring, both in Kristdala and Eksjö. The participants got to try grafting their own small apple trees to take home. In the autumn, it was followed up with a pruning course outside Vimmerby.
During the year, we have also placed great focus on entrepreneurship and growing for sale. Carolina Dahlberg conducted a webinar on running a cooperative farm. Josefin Karlsson from Korka kvarn in Vimmerby invited guests to a garden tour and gave a lecture on ”structure and planning in cultivation”. Ann Sellbrink held a workshop on sustainable entrepreneurship in Mariannelund on Sustainable Entrepreneurship and gave a digital lecture on collaboration and partnerships. Sven-Erik Larsson inspired people to increase the value of raw materials during a workshop in Hjältevad.
Sven-Erik also conducted a workshop for educators and meal staff in schools and preschools, together with some children from the preschool in Hjältevad, with the theme ”Exploring food early.” The activity was a collaboration between the Cultivation Academy 2.0 and the project ”Cultivation as a pedagogical tool.”.
Another focus during the year has been Transition. In early April, we organized a Transition weekend outside Eksjö together with Studiefrämjandet with Hillevi Helmfrid as one of the course leaders with the theme ”Maximum quality of life with minimal ecological footprint”. In May, we made a study visit to Kalvefall farm in Ydre with a farm tour and lecture about our food security and the Matvärn movement.
Along for the trip to Kalvefall were, among others, participants from Mötesplats Bullerbyn in Vimmerby. Hillevi Helmfrid was there as a language support and it was a great opportunity for people with different backgrounds and languages to meet. Mötesplats Bullerbyn runs a palaklar cultivation for community and language teaching, in the middle of the residential area of Bullerbyn, where Helena Styrbjörn participated in some of the cultivation meetings during the spring. The Cultivation Academy also organized a digital lecture on the theme of cultivation and integration with Maja Söderberg with the theme ”Cultivation can be a path into community”.
We celebrated the fall with a Harvest Festival at Ingebo Hagar outside Vimmerby. The participants cooked together, partly over an open fire, and invited loved ones to a meal in the evening. Ann Sellbrink lectured on healthy eating for the cooks.
Mattias Eliasson from Obygden film has created a film for Odlingsakademien 2.0. The film stars Hillevi Helmfrid, Mikaela Linder and Olle Forsell from Kalvefall. It is a very interesting film – don't miss it! You can find it on Youtube: The film from the Cultivation Academy 2.0
Thank you to everyone who has participated in various ways throughout the year!