Greetings from Z/S "Vecsiljani"!

Today, the Latvian finalist of the international competition "Farmer of the Year in the Baltic Sea Region 2015" – Z/S "Vecsiljāņi", run by Juris Sprukulis, was awarded. The competition, which is organized in all countries of the Baltic Sea region, highlights examples of good and Baltic Sea-friendly agricultural practices that reduce eutrophication, or overgrowth, of the Baltic Sea. 
Z/S “Vecsiljāņi” will represent Latvia at the regional level, competing with finalists from other Baltic Sea countries and will apply for the title “Farmer of the Year in the Baltic Sea Region 2015” and a cash prize of 10,000 euros. The regional winner will be announced during the traditional conference “Greener Agriculture for a Bluer Baltic Sea” in November this year in Germany. It should be recalled that the honorable title “Farmer of the Year in the Baltic Sea Region 2014” was won by the farm “Mežacīruļi” from Latvia last year in a competition of nine Baltic Sea countries. It was the first year when a farm from Latvia was rated so highly on a regional scale.
“Efficient use of resources, added value of the product and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are key words in today's business sector, which we encounter in the production process of the company “Vecsiljāņi”. We also highly appreciate that the company is open to the wider public and shares its good practices with various interest groups. We are pleased with the victory of “Vecsiljāņi” and wish them further success,” says Jānis Rozītis, Director of the World Wide Fund for Nature.
The farm “Vecsiljāņi” perfectly demonstrates that environmentally friendly production goes hand in hand with efficiency. “The title of Farmer of the Year means a lot to us, we have always worked with respect for Latvian nature and the awareness that we are not alone in this world”, emphasizes the owner Juris Sprukulis. “On our farm, all sectors complement each other, production is organized and by introducing environmentally friendly agricultural technology solutions, such as new biogas and liquid manure spreading technologies, “Vecsiljāņi” also acquires the most efficient modern technologies”.
“The Farmers’ Council is pleased with the growing recognition of the competition not only among the public, but also among farmers themselves,” says Maira Dzelzkalēja, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the “Farmers’ Council” association. “Every year, the group of farmers becomes more diverse, the effective farming solutions they offer more interesting. It is pleasing that, despite the difficult situation in dairy farming, the winner for the second year in a row is a representative of this sector, who has achieved the result thanks to effective production methods, as well as by reducing the negative impact of farming on the environment. We congratulate all the participants of the competition, who are professionals in the industry and are always open to new ideas.”
Z/S “Vecsiljāņi” was established in 1991, it is located in Bebri parish, Koknese region, in the Daugava catchment area. The farm is engaged in the production of milk, cheese (“Ievas siers”), electricity and crop production – the sectors complement each other, thus allowing for efficient use of resources. Currently, 47 people are employed at “Vecsiljāņi”.
The competition is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature together with partners in all Baltic Sea countries. In Latvia, the competition partner is the Latvian Rural Consulting and Education Centre.