Pöytyä-based Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha has been awarded the title of Finland's best greenhouse vegetable producer for 2025. The award was presented at the annual meeting of the Finnish Glasshouse Growers' Association.
Piltti is Finland's first and only baby spinach farm. The entrepreneur Hanna Helenius is a third-generation greenhouse grower, involved in the family business since 2006. The farm was originally founded by her grandparents in the 1950s, growing vegetables and flowers for local markets. In the 1970s, Helenius' father and his siblings developed the business into a wholesale cut-flower operation. In 2000, greenhouse cucumbers were added to the production, cultivated until 2013, when Helenius decided to focus on year-round baby spinach cultivation. Flowers such as hyacinths, potted daffodils, cut lilies, and summer flowers remain an important part of the production alongside baby spinach. The farm employs 12 year-round staff in addition to seasonal workers.
© Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha
A baby spinach pioneer
Currently, the farm cultivates baby spinach on 1.1 hectares. The decision to grow spinach came somewhat by accident. After ending cucumber production, the plan was to make salad mixes including spinach. However, customers suggested there might be demand for plain spinach bags. The product quickly became popular, despite the effort required to promote it.
© Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha
"At first, I did a lot of sales work trying to get spinach everywhere. Fresh spinach was unfamiliar to Finnish consumers, but we succeeded well. At the same time, there was a major health trend and green smoothies were emerging, which also helped the product's popularity," Helenius says. Piltti's baby spinach is now widely available across Finland, harvested daily, and sent fresh to stores.
© Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha
Sustainability at the core
The company emphasizes energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. Heating is fully bioenergy-based, and lighting is entirely LED. Only biological plant protection is used for both flowers and baby spinach. The farm was also among the first to participate in the electricity reserve market, securing Finland's power grid against disruptions. Recently, the company received an honorary mention in Turku Energia's "Most Energy-Smart Company" competition and participates in the Chamber of Commerce climate program.
© Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha
"I get tremendous energy from finding areas to improve and discovering ways to reduce our carbon footprint," Helenius says. The company has been developed systematically and with hard work in recent years. Now it is also time to enjoy the results.
For more information:
Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha
Email: [email protected]
https://piltti.com/
