A new meadow fruit farm for learning and collaboration

Fruit, meadows and faith in the future in northeastern Skåne

A new meadow fruit farm is being planned in Arkelstorp to show how food production can be combined with biodiversity and long-term sustainability. The company behind the initiative wants to establish a farm where older fruit varieties and traditional methods are combined with active meadow management and organic farming.

The project will function as a demonstration area, educational environment and meeting place for local collaboration. Today, there is a lack of practical knowledge about how to establish a new meadow orchard with strong-growing trees and sustainable management methods. By documenting the entire process, offering training and developing a guide, the project owners want to spread knowledge to more people.

The initiative is linked to the region's historical land use and responds to the need to restore species-rich agricultural landscapes, in line with the EU's goals for nature restoration. The target group is students, small-scale growers, private individuals and local residents who want to learn more about sustainable farming, tree care and nature conservation.

The goal is to show that it is possible to recreate a small-scale and species-rich cultural landscape – while developing the farm into a platform for courses, advice and local exchange.

The board's assessment

Decision date: 2025-05-16 

Total selection criteria: 825 points

The board's justification: The project comes through the landscaped meadow fruit plantation to contribute to increased biodiversity, Utilize and pass on knowledge about establishing new, more extensive fruit orchards that also constitute biologically rich meadow environments. This will also diversify the applicant's business and give the company more legs to stand on. At the same time, they strive to make the plantation a meeting place for the local community, with a kind of cooperative idea that the fruit is shared between those who meet and contribute to the care. By this we mean that we will contribute strongly to the local strategy's focus area Green Transformation.