A new collaboration channel for grass production: SUSGRASS Living Lab
Nurmi LL
SUSGRASS Living Lab – together towards more sustainable grass-based production
SUSGRASS Living Lab is an open collaboration platform where grass-based production is developed jointly by farmers, researchers, companies and other stakeholders. At its core is close cooperation between all parties: knowledge, experience and ideas are brought together to enable more efficient development and uptake of solutions. Nurmi Living Lab combines research, practical experimentation and farmers’ everyday experience. The aim is to develop grass-based milk and beef production, as well as the wider grass economy, so that production is productive, economically viable and environmentally sustainable at the same time.
The activities bring together a broad network of expertise from different fields and provide opportunities to test new methods, technologies and practices in real-life conditions. At the same time, it strengthens peer learning and involves those who use the solutions in their daily work. A key element of Nurmi Living Lab is a developing online platform that brings together information, projects, experiments and actors related to grass-based production. The platform serves as an open communication and interaction channel, supporting collaboration, knowledge sharing and the dissemination of new solutions.
Nurmi Living Lab is coordinated by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Maaninka, and involves a wide partner network:
Savonia University of Applied Sciences, ProAgria Eastern Finland, Finnish Supervisory Agency (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto), Ylä-Savo Vocational College (YSAO), Tampere University, The Rural Professions Association (Maaseutuammattiin ry), Savo-Karelia Water Protection Association, MTK North Savo and Finnish Organic Research Institute (Luke). Grass producing farms from North Savo, South Savo and North Karelia play a key role.
The goal of SUSGRASS Living Lab is to enhance the development in grass production: to bring together activities, create new solutions and accelerate the shared innovation process between research and practice.
