Meadow Tasting Day in the meadows by Lake Liepāja on 20 July

On 20 July, the Latvian Nature Fund and SIA “Rukši” organised a “Taste of the Meadow” event in the meadows by Lake Liepāja. On this day, together with the meadow’s owner and nature experts, visitors were able to learn about the coastal grasslands and their natural values, as well as find out how such meadows are managed. Participants were also treated to a ‘Meadow Meat’ tasting session, led by Kaspars Jansons, head chef at the “Meat Chef” restaurant, and had the chance to learn about natural meadow produce. 

Lake Liepāja and the surrounding meadows form part of the “Lake Liepāja” nature reserve and are a “Natura 2000” site of European importance, as it is an important nesting and stopover site for waterbirds. The eastern shore of the lake features valuable coastal grasslands with their characteristic plant species that thrive in slightly saline soil. The survival of such grasslands is only possible through continuous management; otherwise, they quickly become overgrown with sedges or reeds. Grazing is an indispensable process that shapes the structure of the habitat required by birds and coastal plant species.

Per Winge–Petersen, the owner of SIA “Rukši”, knows how to look after natural meadows whilst also rearing beef cattle. “Rukši” is a certified organic cattle farm that manages extensive grassland areas in the South Kurzeme region, including the Liepāja Lake Nature Reserve, and its priority is sustainable organic farming and the conservation of nature and the environment.

How should coastal grasslands be managed? What natural treasures do these meadows hold, and how can they be used sustainably? What does beef from cattle reared in natural meadows taste like? You could find out about this and much more at the ‘Taste of the Meadows’ event on 20 July.

We set off on an excursion – an educational walk – accompanied by Baiba Strazdiņa and Līga Gavare, meadow experts from the Latvian Nature Fund, and the entomologist Voldemārs Spuņģis. On our return from the roughly 6 km hike, everyone had a hearty appetite for lunch, which was followed by tastings. Under the guidance of “Meat Chef” , we were introduced to the nuances of preparing and tasting beef from cattle reared in natural meadows, and sampled some exceptionally tasty steaks, sirloin and fillets. The beef was kindly provided by the meadow farmers at SIA “Rukši”.

The event was organised with support from the projects “LIFE IP LatViaNature: Optimisation of the management and stewardship of Natura 2000 protected areas” and “GrassLIFE2: Restoration of Priority Grassland Habitats of European Union Importance and Promotion of their Diverse Uses”. The projects are being implemented with financial support from the EU LIFE programme.