Heritage potato onions in Tervola and the surrounding areas
Peräpohjolan sipulit
The Tervola area has been a well-known cultivation area for potato onions. In the early 20th century, potato onions produced a large and good-quality crop, which was sufficient for large-scale sales. The onion sets in Perä-Pohjola was desired up to Southern Finland and its reputation was based on the region's strong expertise in growing onions.
The cultivation of potato onions has shrunk to a subsistence crop. However, long-cultivated cluster pulps are still known to be found in the Perä-Pohjola region. There is no overall understanding of the number of potato onion and their different strains and their mutual kinship. Onions and their cultivation and uses are part of local cultural history. Those farmers who are familiar with the farming history of different potato onions and the farming and conservation techniques used are already elderly. Information will be collected through interviews and events. The collected information will be compiled into an onion publication of the Perä-Pohjola. It is hoped that any new strains of onions found will be stored in the national potato onions’ gene bank.
The aim is to ensure the survival of the mapped potato onion material in cultivation by finding ways to get them for wider local cultivation. The aim is to increase local knowledge of the onion history, farming knowledge and to help meet farmers and crop users. The taste characteristics that are different from the usual onions are of interest to consumers. Cultivation of good onion strains into onion sets and cooking onions can bring additional income to the area's horticultural growers and provide opportunities for further processing.
The project is divided into four measures: collecting potato onions from farmers in the area, recording the history and methods of growing onions, comparing onion populations, and administration and communication. The project operates throughout the area of activity of the Peräpohjolan Leader. The main implementer is the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the part implementer is Kemi-Tornionlaakson koulutuskuntayhtymä Lappia.
