Kotaja, petals of the Great North
A century-old farm in Vampula where rose petals are picked like words are chosen.
200 km from Helsinki, in the rural municipality of Vampula, Kotaja farm has existed since 1917. Five generations have succeeded one another, but the turning point is recent: in 2019, Anna and Mika Kotaja decided to diversify with a production of rose petals and artisanal syrups. The result: products that smell of the Finnish countryside.
The story begins with an observation: winters are getting longer, agricultural seasons shorter, and the traditional farm — cereals, beets, potatoes — is no longer enough. Anna, a former marketing consultant in Helsinki, returned to the family farm in 2018. She planted 3,000 rose bushes, a 'Rosa rugosa' variety, adapted to the Nordic climate.
The story
Picking takes place early in the morning, between 5 and 8 am, before the heat evaporates the essential oils. The petals are hand-sorted, dried at low temperature, or infused fresh in cane syrups. Each bottle bears a batch number. Production is limited to 12,000 units per year.
“A breath of fresh air on a century-old farm, petals picked like words are chosen.”
The terroir
Vampula is a village of 1,500 inhabitants in southwestern Finland. The climate is temperate continental, with short but warm summers (up to 28°C in July) and very cold winters (down to -25°C). This temperature range stresses the rose bushes and concentrates their aromas.
The soil, a glacial legacy, is sandy-loamy, well-drained, and slightly acidic. Ideal for Rosa rugosa, which dislikes heavy soils. Kotaja's rose bushes receive no fertilizer or chemical treatment. The bush is left semi-wild to promote garden biodiversity.
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