Pöytyä-based Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha has been named Finland’s Best Greenhouse Vegetable Producer 2025 by the Finnish Glasshouse Growers’ Association.
The recognition highlights how one farm helped shape Finland baby spinach production, turning a little-known crop into a steady supermarket favorite across the country.
Piltti is Finland’s first and only baby spinach producer. Third-generation grower Hanna Helenius joined the family business in 2006 and shifted production from cut flowers and cucumbers to spinach in 2013. The decision transformed the company from a small regional supplier into a national fresh-produce brand.
Building A New Category
When the farm first introduced spinach, most Finnish consumers had never seen it fresh on shelves. Retailers were cautious, but health trends worked in Piltti’s favor.
Smoothie culture, plant-based eating, and “green” convenience meals were emerging at the same time. Demand rose quickly, and retailers began adding spinach bags to salad ranges nationwide.
Today, Piltti supplies daily-harvested spinach to multiple retail partners across Finland. The product has become a fixture in local fresh departments and an example of how small growers can create new value for supermarket buyers through niche specialization.
Sustainability As A Business Model
Piltti cultivates 1.1 hectares of spinach alongside seasonal flowers. Operations are fully bioenergy-heated, LED-lit, and protected using biological controls only.
The company was also among the first agricultural producers to join Finland’s electricity reserve market, helping stabilize the national grid.
This approach cuts energy costs and strengthens Piltti’s position with retail buyers looking to meet sustainability targets in their fresh-produce sourcing.
The company recently earned an honorary mention in Turku Energia’s “Most Energy-Smart Company” competition and participates in the Chamber of Commerce climate program.
Helenius says continuous improvement and lowering emissions remain key priorities as the business grows.
Why it Matters
For retailers and wholesalers, Piltti’s success shows how Finland baby spinach production can thrive through controlled-environment farming, category innovation, and sustainability.
It also reflects the wider Nordic trend of investing in local, low-carbon produce to meet year-round demand for leafy greens.
Source note: Information for this article was verified from FreshPlaza (October 31, 2025), titled “Fresh spinach was unfamiliar to Finnish consumers, but we succeeded well,” with additional background from Piltti Oy Kauppapuutarha.
