Free-range food

[jujimufu]

Moi kaikkille,

I have been living in Finland for about two months now (and until December), and I have been enjoying local Finnish produce.

However, although there are a lot of lactose-free, gluten-free, and quite a few organic produces, I haven't seen much free-range produce other than eggs (vapaan kanan munat).

I was wondering if anyone had a link or research or study about Finnish farming and slaughterhouses to know where the food I'd be buying comes from, and I was also wondering if anyone knew where I could find free-range chicken, beef and pork.

I might have actually come across such produces, but I may have not realise they were free-range/organic because of my Finnish (which is not great!). So I would appreciate it if you could give some common names for such produces.



Also, if you are about to make a sad, angry comment and tell me to go back to my country, then save your 30 seconds and go waste them somewhere else - I have little to no appreciation for narrow-minded people who take any opportunity they find to abuse others because of the safety the internet provides, by proving their overly macho-behaviour. (I am referring to posts on a similar thread, about "finnish produce".)

Thanks a lot in advance

[Rosamunda]

Most Finns who want "free-range" meat hunt their own. My SO just filled our freezers with 80kgs of "free-range" elk meat which means that I never have to buy any beef. We also get roe deer, hare, pheasant and duck.

Free-range chickens are not easy to find in Finland. Neither are organic ones. The season is too short, there have been plenty of threads about this on the forum in the past. I think organic chickens require 83 days (or thereabouts) of the Great Outdoors before they can be slaughtered which means it is not financially viable to raise them on a large scale. OTOH, I have always managed to get organic turkey for Christmas - they can be ordered from Stockmann.

I get organic pork from a local farm in Raasepori (near our mökki) but Stockmann stocks it too and so will Reinin Liha in Hakaniemi market if you ask. Organic lamb is also available but again you have to ask (Stockmann, Reinin Liha or local farms). Ahvenanmaa lamb (from Åland) is really good, not sure if it qualifies as organic but it is certainly free-range and full of flavour. Now, is the best time to enjoy Finnish lamb (hogget) at its best - way better than Spring lamb which has been reared indoors all winter.

Organic eggs and milk are in EVERY supermarket. Just look for luomu.

[onkko]

Magic word what you are looking for is probably luomu (luonnon mukainen). That means whatever has that mark its produced as natural as possible including that animals live as natural as possible.

[Mook]

Dear forumers.

My diet has been sorely lacking of late and I wondered where I might acquire the following free range products:
- Neeps
- Tatties
- Haggis

Yours Hungrily,
Mook

[Pursuivant]

Problem with luomu is that the production costs are higher, so the prices aren't competitive, which means less buyers and less interest in production... kind of a catch-22 situation. So its in the hands of specialized farms rather than supermarket chains.

http://www.labbynkauppa.net/
http://www.leppalanluomuliha.fi/
http://www.beef.fi/
http://www.kbh.fi/

oh and everything and a few impossibles www.luomu.fi

[jujimufu]

Thanks a lot guys This really helps!

I would really love to get my own meat, but unfortunately I have neither the skills nor the license or equipment to do so - and I also live in Helsinki, which means the area is a bit short of elks..

The links will be very useful - I just need a bit help with my dictionary to understand them, but I'm sure they will be helpful

And I will try Kauppatori again - and is Stockmann's the same as the bookstore? Or is it a completely different place? On google I only get the bookstore, and if I search for "Stockmann Deli" I get the bookstore's cafeteria (which I doubt will sell organic pork..)

[EP]

Stockmann also has a book store called Akateeminen Kirjakauppa. But that is on the other side the street. Stockmann´s is the big department store next to the three blacksmiths statue (the one in the center of Helsinki). Deli is in the bottom floor.

[Rosamunda]

If you mean the indoor kauppatori (Wanha Kauppatori) on the market place that is not much good for fresh meat.. The market hall in Hakaniemi is much better for food. Take the metro to Hakaniemi and go into the market place there. Food is all on the ground floor and Reinin Liha is the biggest meat stall: http://www.reininliha.fi
There are also other stalls selling poultry, pork, fish etc and also bakeries, herbs and spices, condiments etc and a French deli which just sells non-perishable foods.

Another good place for meat is Wotkins. His outlet (which is also his butchery) is in Sörnainen (metro Kalasatama) http://www.chef-wotkins.com/index.php?sivu=Myym%E4l%E4 but not so easy to get to on foot. He also sells through Sokos (not quite such a good selection), Sokos is a department stall not far from the Railway station on the corner of Postikatu and Mannerheimintie.

Stockmann has an organic promotion on during October: http://www.stockmann.fi/portal/fi/12457

[jujimufu]

Thank you for the extra replies!

Yes, I made a mistake - I meant Hakaniemi Kauppahali, not the Kauppatori. I've been to Kappuatori but haven't bought anything.

I went to Stockmann Deli today which was great they have a great variety of food, including luomu beef and pork (they didn't have muikku in the fish section though ). I also found durum flour there, which I had been looking for a while.

I will go to the market-hall when I need to go shopping again and see their range of meat. It's a lovely place, although a bit crowded some times!

Thanks a lot for the information, it really helped