The Latvian Fund for Nature invites grassland owners to use the interactive tool Meadow matchmaker, available at www.plavusavedejs.lv, which can help them find useful cooperation opportunities with other farmers for grassland management. Meanwhile, those who are only planning to start managing grasslands can make use of the LFN’s Help desk for grassland owners, where they can receive free consultations and advice on the first steps towards meadow restoration.
Meadow matchmaker is intended for landowners and land managers who have natural meadows, or biologically valuable grasslands, but face obstacles in managing them that could be overcome through cooperation with other farmers. Through the Meadow matchmaker, landowners can find potential partners both if they own grassland but have no one to graze or mow it, and if they have livestock but lack sufficient grazing areas. The tool’s Hay market section brings together those who have surplus hay with farmers who are looking for hay.
At the Help desk for grassland owners, experts provide advice to grassland managers on how to manage grasslands in ways that improve their biodiversity. Consultations are based on information provided by the grassland manager about the land’s previous management and current condition, as well as an examination of available cartographic materials. To apply for a consultation, write to zane.lika@ldf.lv, providing the cadastral number of the land parcel, a brief description of its previous management, and photographs showing several of the species growing there.
“The conservation and restoration of natural meadows is one of the Latvian Fund for Nature’s priorities, and this can only be achieved in cooperation with farmers, meadow owners and land managers. Our experience shows that sometimes successful meadow management requires only a little more information and cooperation among farmers in the region, which is why we have developed tools that can help. The Meadow matchmaker will help connect those who need larger grazing areas with those who have no one to graze their meadows, while also helping to address hay-related needs. The Help desk will be useful for grassland owners who lack information about the management and restoration of natural grasslands,” says Baiba Strazdiņa.
At the heart of the Meadow matchmaker is an interactive map showing areas available for mowing or grazing, as well as locations where landowners are looking for areas to manage. The map also displays advertisements for buying and selling hay by area. The Meadow matchmaker has three sections: I Offer a Meadow, I’m Looking for a Meadow, and Hay Market. By clicking on a point on the map, users can find more information about the offer and contact details. Users can also post their own advertisement in these sections by completing a questionnaire and specifying their needs and location. The Meadow matchmaker is available to everyone and can be useful to farmers as well as landowners and managers who are not farmers.
At present, several dozen meadow owners have already expressed interest in cooperation through the Meadow matchmaker. Therefore, at the beginning of the active agricultural season, the Latvian Fund for Nature is encouraging others to join as well, as the tool can help them plan their seasonal work successfully.
The interactive tool was jointly developed by two projects implemented by the Latvian Fund for Nature: the GrassLIFE2 project, which works with farmers and focuses on restoring natural grasslands, and the LIFE Upcycling Grass project, which aims to ensure that grass from natural grasslands does not go to waste but is instead used or processed into products with added value. The Help desk for meadow managers is offered by the GrassLIFE2 project.
Latvia’s natural meadows are currently on the verge of disappearing. They now remain on just 0,9% of Latvia’s territory, compared with 30% 100 years ago. Natural meadows are among the most species-rich habitats in our region: a single square metre of meadow can contain more than 50 different plant species. Difficulties in management are one of the reasons why meadows continue to disappear — they become overgrown or are ploughed up.
The creation of the “Meadow matchmaker” was supported by the projects implemented by the Latvian Fund for Nature: “GrassLIFE2: Restoration of Priority Grassland Habitats of European Union Importance and Promotion of Their Various Uses” (No. 101073829 LIFE21-NAT-LV-GrassLIFE2) and “LIFE UpcyclingGrass: Pilot Project for Technological Solutions for Sustainable and Climate-Friendly Management of Grassland Biomass” (No. 101114335-LIFE22-CCM-LV-LIFE). The projects are funded by the EU LIFE Programme, as well as by the Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia and the project partners.