Reed Harvesting, Product Development and Investors workshop
RFTB harvested a total of 15 hectares of reed during July and August, the reed was mainly used as horse fodder and soil improvement. It was an important step in establishing proof of concept for reed-based soil as well as building capacity and market demand for reed-based horse fodder. Furthermore, in August the BalticReed project- and steering group convened in Mariehamn Åland Islands, to host a dynamic workshop where entrepreneurs, researchers, and financiers explored innovative approaches to utilising reed as a raw material in different purposes.
Harvesting and product development
Stub og Gren harvesting landbased reed with the Softtrack machine in Harg. © SLU
RFTB successfully carried out several harvests and product tests during the summer.
In July water-based reed was harvested in Harg-Östhammar, together with Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Sjöutsikt Sverige AB. To ensure continuity, site selection and harvesting/production methods were identical to previous years – for SLU to deepen research on fodder and ecosystems. This was also a way to continue supporting the growing awareness and market demand for reed fodder.
In August the sites were located in Bogesund-Vaxholm, Riddersholm-Norrtälje as well as additional sites Harg-Östhammar. The sites were selected with help from landowners Statens Fastighetsverk, Skärgårdsstiftelsen and Hargs Bruk. Mainly land-based reed was harvested in collaboration with Danish company Stub og Gren. The reed was sent to Hasselfors Garden as part of evaluating reed as a sustainable material for soil production, as an alternative to peat. Parallelly reed is being analyzed for biogas potential by Biokraft, adding synergies with soil production.
In total RFTB harvested 15 hectares during July and August.
Investors & Innovation workshop on Åland
The BalticReed project- and steering group organized a workshop for investors and innovators, hosted by project partners Ålands Government and Arcada University of Applied Sciences. The session was held in Mariehamn-Åland Islands, and brought together entrepreneurs, researchers, and financiers to explore innovative approaches to utilizing reed as a raw material. Key discussions included the challenges and opportunities for circular biomass products, what success factors and barriers need to be considered. The importance of local sourcing was highlighted with intriguing insights into reed-based products such as horse fodder, straws and disposable products.
The BalticReed project group will continue working to connect entrepreneurs and investors to scale up sustainable innovations, and will be planning more similar events onwards.