New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Initiative category

Identify the award category for which this initiative is being submitted
Reconnecting with nature

Email user
dace.vainio@gmail.com

Basic information
Initiative title
“Rymättylä route”. Potatoes and herring

Full initiative Title
Exploring the ”Rymättylä route” and learning all what is about Rymättylä potatoes and herring.

Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.
What is the first association, when you hear about Finnish archipelago?
Rocky islands dominating in the landscape.

What kind of associations has Rymättylä for Finnish people?
Clearly, early potatoes, also called ”new potatoes”. Their taste is the best together with herring of Rymättylä!

Rymättylä new potatoes are awaited agricultural produce and, surely, heralds of summer.

About 70 % of all the harvested Finnish ”new” potatoes come from the islands of Rymättylä.

What was the geographical scope of your intiative?
Local

Where was your intiative implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Finland

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Naantali municipality

Does your initiative address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly rural

Does your initiative refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

Does your initiative has a minimum level of maturity? The minimum level of maturity is exemplified by stakeholder/ initiative promoter commitment to implement the initiative in practice and a clear methodology /approach.
Yes

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As a representative of an organisation
Please provide the contact details for the project promoter (the individual or representative of the organisation authorised to represent the project)
- Name of the organisation(s): 9TUULTA
  Type of organisation: Private Trader
  First name of representative: Dace
  Last name of representative: VAINIO
  Gender: Female
  Nationality: Latvia
  Function: Founder
  Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Yläpaulantie 5
  Town: RYMÄTTYLÄ
  Postal code: 21140
  Country: Finland
  Direct Tel: +358 40 9346649
  E-mail: info@9tuulta.fi
  Website: https://9tuulta.fi/
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.facebook.com/9tuulta
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #9tuulta
- URL: https://www.instagram.com/9tuulta/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #9tuulta
- URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vainio-dace-843a38111/
In case my initiative is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my initiative in the channels of the European Commission.
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the initiative
Please provide a summary of your initiative
Indeed, in the Turku Archipelago, South-West region of Finland, there are about 20 thousand islands. Rural communities mark a strand having immerse green economy potential for the archipelago landscape.
One of such a strand is Rymättylä.
What tells us the emblem of Rymättylä? Herrings symbolize fishing, historically an important livelihood for the locals. Stars symbolize nine largest islands of Rymättylä archipelago.
The area of Rymättylä, inhabited by 2093 persons, has a cost-line of 526 km and land area of 148 km² only.
In Rymättylä, the sea and the nature are close to.

About 70 % of all the harvested Finnish ”new” potatoes come from the islands of Rymättylä.
In the archipelago, there are suitable nature conditions for cultivation of potatoes. Because of the mild sea-side climat, the spring is often longer here, the snow from the fields melts away much earlier than on the main-land. The fields are prepared as early as the snow is away. From the shadowy places, the snow is even pushed off, so that the soil could melt faster. Planting of potatoes begins already in March. The further weeks of their growing and maturing are extremely important, demanding from the farmers punctuality and pharmacist’s accuracy. Sunny, warm weather conditions are the most essential factors for success in getting a good harvest. Therefore, following the the weather forecast has been the most practised activity by the farmers – with a good reason! Harvesting begins already at the end of April. On the first day of May, i.e., the Vappu day, it is a habit to have freshly harvested new potatoes. With herring of Rymättylä!
Formerly, Rymättylä was known as fishermen’s villages, e.g., Röölä. Over time, fishermen’s profession has gradually disappeared, role of local fish-farming has diminished here.
By learning the traditional modus vivendi of the local people, we aim to bring people closer to the nature.
By exploring the ”Rymättylä route” and learning together about Rymätt

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.
archipelago

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
traditions

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
communities

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
skills

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words
spirit

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
By exploring the ”Rymättylä route”, people's educational and learning needs are covered in different age groups.
There is interrelation between younger and elder generations. Traditional values are maintained, the best practice is learnt.
Awareness of green economy potential of archipelago rural areas is raised.

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
Knowledge in local cultural heritage is extended.
Sense of belonging to the archipelago community is strengthened.
Local school, local library, local museums, local professional societies are as a venue for acquiring theoretical knowledge on the initiative.
Practical activities are implemented under guidance of practitioners (farmers, fishermen).

Please give information about the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.
This initiative involves, first of all, local people and people of all generations.
Implementation of the initiative covers the whole Naantali municipality, a part of which is Rymättylä community.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative
The benefit is healthy modus vivendi of the people of Naantali municipality.
Inquisitiveness about local nature is stimulated, in a cost-effective way.
Mindfulness is fostered.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.
This is an initiative from the grass-roots, from an entrepreneur operating in a local community and being a member of an entrepreneurs's board of municipality Naantali. The initiative, is intended for engaging, firstly, local actors, local society, those 2093 inhabitants, residing in Rymättylä archipelago. Secondly, the initiative offers the chance for inhabitants of the whole Naantali municipality to explore new facettes of the nature in our municipality.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
Symbiosis of environmental, economy, historical and cultural aspects.
Immaterial heritage and skillfulness.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative
Community spirit.
A novel, unprecedented local tourism product, shaped by local actors, including farmers, fishermen.

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
Learning element -> local cultural heritage; preserving of immaterial heritage;
learners at a local level, then at the regional level. Third step -> country-wide. Finally - Union's level.

Please describe the methodology or approach used in your initiative.
By learning the unique, traditional modus vivendi of the local people, we aim to bring people closer to the nature. By doing so, we strenghten their sense of belonging to community of Rymättylä archipelago.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions
Ageing of society.
Educatedness of society.
Environmental awareness.
Continuity of traditions and related skills.

Please detail the scope of progress in the implementation of the initiative. This can include already demonstrated results/outputs related to the chosen Prizes category, and the already achieved benefits from the initiative for direct and indirect beneficiaries. This can also include a development plan of the initiative, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application, and including envisaged results and benefits from the initiative
This is initial period, the outset of the initiative. Now the task is to gather information about former and present farmers, fishermen and from local people who could share their knowledge and teach the skills related to long-standing tradition of growing "new potatoes" of Rymättylä and catching fish (herring!) of Rymättylä!
Mid-term target is, within two years, organizing seminars and workshops aimed at application of combination of theoretical and practical knowledge.

The goal is, during four years, in co-opertion with the stakeholders and interested parties, to achieve that “Rymättylä route. Potatoes and herring": 1) is included, e.g., in the list of European immaterial cultural heritage and 2) Rymättylä becomes one of the European tourism destinations of excellence!

Please provide documents that demonstrate the maturity level of the initiative and commitment to implement the initiative in practice (e.g.: evaluation report, final or mid-term initiative report, certification, publications, building permit, grant agreement, letter of support, partnership agreement, etc.)
Both
PDF
- pdf-1-29852.pdf
Web link
- https://9tuulta.fi/en/travel/finland/while-in-finland
- https://9tuulta.fi/fi
If relevant, please describe how your initiative contributes to developing new competences, especially in the context of the European competence framework on sustainability.
For this initiative, it is important to involve learners of all the age groups (including adult learners), local authorities, local community, local actors, in particular the youth, as well the competent research organizations, in learning the sustainability of nature of archipelago and inheriting folk wisdom.
Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below.
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By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed initiative has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the initiative and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their initiatives, initiative, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted initiative, initiative is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes