Slash and burn

Finno-Ugric tribes practiced slash-and-burn (swidden cultication) up til the start of 1900. Last burns were done in 1930’ies in Finland. Today it is practiced several places all over Finland in order not to forget how to do it, typically happenings arranged by local villages. This is not possible for arranged tourism as the weather on day of burning is of extreme importance and usually it is decided for burning first in the morning if the wind and weather is suitable. At HAMK Mustiala we burnt an area in in 2004 and 2005. After fire we used a horse and had made a copy of an old harrow. We culticated slash-and-burn rye (midsummer rye) and swidden turnip. Today the area is a biodiversity area and it is not grazed or used in agriculture in any way.

Read more about Slash-and-burn shifting cultivation by Per Martin Tvengsberg.