Vadakste Forest Farm
Vadakste forest farm is privately owned and located under the Milky way in the woods of south-east Kurland (Latvia), near the border with Lithuania. The terrain is flat, approximately 85 meters above sea level, situated on calcareous clay soil, and located on a drumlin from the last ice age. (Vadakste drumlin field) Historically, there was a broad-leaved forest with oak, ash, linden, alder, elm, and alderwood.
The history of the farm goes back to 1780. The farm was home to foresters who managed the state and manor forests. Farming was active until 1949 and then abandoned. We got back the farm in 1995 and started to manage the forests. In 2019, we decided to create an agroforestry planting on the former meadows left.
Our forest is a demonstration site for continuous cover forestry. We run it together with WWF Latvia (World Wide Fund for Nature) and the State Agriculture Extension Service in the project LatViaNature
Our mission is to merge the polarity of forestry and agriculture within the natural concept of cold climate ecosystem-based agroforestry. The goal is to meet human needs (timber/food), leveraging nature as a partner.
We understand that every ecosystem is a dynamic system in constant change called succession. We need to admit that nature has excellent knowledge of how to grow trees and plants. We, humans, can learn from nature how to do it. On our farm, we are learning to use natural processes in crop cultivation. The living soil and clean water are one of the most important components in plant cultivation. We take care of them.
About me
My name is Agnis Graudulis, and I am from Latvia.
I am a forester, agroforestry creator and forest owner.
I know that trees have created Eden, and trees can bring it back.
Activities:
Latvian Ministry of Agriculture award for "Sustainable forest management" as a private forest owner
Traditional Agroforestry in Latvia. 2022 (Latvian Permaculture Association project)
Unhide Agroforestry (Latvia-Sweden) 2023-25
Agroforestry in Practice PDF from Unhide Agroforestry
The Northern nut (Facebook group)
Permaculture festivals and events (Facebook group)
Lectures:
2025
The natural spread of brodleaf forests
How to bring back luefe in small rivers or put a stone in the river (Permatrešdiena ZOOM)
Forest gardens. From wild boar to jay
(Permatrešdiena ZOOM)
Close to nature forestry (Permatrešdiena ZOOM)
Forestry and beauty (Permatrešdiena ZOOM)
2024
Forestry as natural process (ZOOM)
Forest and forest garden. Picture or process, XI Permaculture festival.
Microhabitats in forest and garden (Zoom Latvia)
2023
Agroforestry, forest gardening, forestry Q&A (Latvian Permakulture association Zoom) December 6 2023 Part I, Part II
Walnuts Latvia. Mustila Finland 2023 Tuorlan pähkinäseminaariin 21.10 (ENG, from 4:00)
Walnuts Latvia. Understanding trees. Nötnätverksdag 2023, Holma, Sweden
Agroforestry and forest gardening. Permaculture Forest festival II, Kuldiga 2023
Tree senses and intelligence. (2023) Zoom, Latvia
Forest gardens (2023) Zoom, Latvia
Agroforestry (2023) Zoom, Latvia
2018-2022
Continuous cover forestry, forest gardening. IX Permaculture Forest festival, Kuldiga 2022 (Latvia)
Walnuts Latvia . Food Forest Festival, Estonia 2022
Agroforestry and nut trees. VIII Permaculture festival. Latvia 2021
Walnuts in Latvia , independent event 2021 (Latvia),
Edible landscapes. VII Permaculture festival 2020 (Latvia)
Edible nuts, Oak coffee, Independent event. 2019,Latvia
Self sufficient farm VI Permaculture festival 2019 (Latvia)
Permaculture as business. Richards Perkins farm experience. Independent event 2018. Latvia
Grow soil not plants VI Permaculture festival Zadini 2018 (Latvia)