Meadow Festival

At the height of summer – on 4 July – the fourth Latvian Nature Fund Meadow Festival took place at the University of Latvia Botanical Garden in Riga, this year under the slogan “Where the meadow meets the garden”.

This year’s event focused on the interaction between gardens and natural meadows. Meadows demonstrate that a diverse and thriving environment is possible, where plants, insects and humans coexist in balance, and they can also serve as an inspiration for modern gardening. The festival invited visitors to explore the world of natural meadows and the importance of biodiversity in our daily lives – from pollinators and wetlands to human wellbeing.

The festival programme was packed – the Meadow Lecture Series, the Meadow Produce Market, and a variety of workshops and masterclasses. The Latvian Nature Fund’s advice point, “Gribu pļavu!”, was also in operation, where experts offered advice on the management and restoration of natural meadows. In the information area, visitors could also meet representatives of the brands «Dabisko pļavu produkts» and «Novada Garša».

At the Meadow Products Market, visitors were welcomed by producers of meadow products from all over Latvia, who offered honey, cheese, teas, herbal products, meadow-based cosmetics, beef from cattle reared in natural meadows, ice cream made from sheep’s and goat’s milk, floral hydrosols and other both traditional and unusual meadow products. There was also a sorbet-making masterclass in collaboration with the “Klinģeri» farmstead, as well as a masterclass on preparing meadow beef and a tasting session in collaboration with the Cēsis Meat Processing Plant.

To round off the festival, the band “Alejas” treated the festival-goers to a concert.