Interview

Can you tell us about your journey from idea to company?

Alnarps agroecology farm has undergone many changes and much growth in the past 4 years. Just about 4 years ago this project was started by then students in the agroecology masters program at SLU. The main idea was to create an environment where theory from class and everyone's individual backgrounds could be put in to practice. Some students were very involved in the course, but had never grown a carrot. This project was a means to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Since the first iteration of the farm, which was a small plot on campus rented from the team at Grobruket, was small, but the perfect starting point for the project. Infrastructure was built, soil regeneration was focused on, and vegetables were soon growing. With the amount of interest shown by other students came the realization that this was not enough space to really try new ideas, experiments, and see how this kind of farm/project can be of relevance in the surrounding communities and see if this would work in the "real" world. The farm then decided to rent a piece of land from SLU close to the sea, and is one of the oldest continuously organic farmlands in the area. However it was conventionally farmed and the soil was in need of serious regeneration. The farm is now only located at this site, Malmövägen 3, 234 32 Lomma, Sweden. With turning the project into a business, the responsibilities wanted to be shared with the team and the organization was chosen to be a non-profit business with a board of invested individuals covering legal roles in the board and more farm specific roles. This has been crucial to our organizations framework and how we have been able to move forward, scale up, and engage in European conferences, classes/curriculums for various programs & universities, and curious students/people from all over the world who are interested in sustainable farming and working with the land they have.

In what ways have you received support in your entrepreneurial journey?

The support for our farm has been massive over the years and is only increasing alongside our increased ambitions. There has been absolutely pivotal support from specific professors and course leaders who have helped connect us with NGO's, the FAO, and other universities- The Norwegian agroecology program came to visit us a few months ago and took a tour with us and had great conversations about agroecology in the Nordics. Venture Lab has been a huge supporter of our project, and specifically Charles, who has been on site many times lending support, finding sponsors, and increasing our public outreach. We have been heavily reliant on grants and we apply to them frequently, along with such programs as the innovation award from SLU. The community we have created around the farm through such schemes as- Community supported agriculture (CSA), weekly farmers markets, educational workshops, and social events- have been major supporters for us. Our customers have been integral in our growth and ability to deliver our services year after year, by spreading the word through word of mouth, posting online and even donating to crowd fund campaigns that we have launched. The number one source of support we receive at the farm is easily our volunteers, or Farm Custodians, without these individuals we would never have been able to accomplish what we have. Week after week, and often multiple days in a week, custodians show up to lend a helping hand. The space has always been about knowledge sharing and building community through agroecology, and trying to fight for a just food system that works with the land. People are very attracted to this, students and professionals alike, who value where their food comes from, want to learn agroecology in practice for their own endeavors, and for those who want to be in a friendly, outdoor social space with like minded people. 

What tips do you have for students who have an idea or are considering starting their own business?

For students who want to start their own business, DO IT. Venture Lab has been a huge advocate for us and other students who have a clear(ish) vision and want to put in to action. I think some of the most important aspects to consider before starting your business include:

• Keep building your knowledge base- find mentors and/or educators who are acting out something similar to your vision. Reach out to them and see what relationships can be made. Networking is also a huge part of starting a business and the more people you can connect with that are doing something similar to what you want to do the better

• Understand your community- who is sharing the same ideas that you are? Is it a possibility to work with them to achieve similar goals? Who is this business for, do you understand your customer base, and more importantly would they be able to understand your vision?

• And most of all, TRY. Life is about failure. Without failing how will you learn. It might sound harsh, but failure is as important to success as succeeding itself. Nothing can account for experience, so its paramount to try, learn, and try again.