Arctic Ginger and Arctic Turmeric – the World’s Northernmost Root Crop Farm
At approximately 61° north latitude in Eastern Finland, on the border region of South Karelia and South Savo, lies Poutasen Puutarha – one of the northernmost places in the world where ginger and turmeric are grown commercially. Here, tropical root crops grow in a modern greenhouse surrounded by Arctic nature. This unique combination has given rise to the concepts of Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric.
At Poutasen Puutarha, cultivation is based on a clean environment, precisely controlled growing conditions, and modern cultivation technology. From this same cultivation expertise, Arctic Elixir® was also born – a premium brand in which plants grown in Arctic conditions are refined into cosmetics and food supplements.
Arctic Ginger and Arctic Turmeric
At Poutasen Puutarha, Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric are grown in a modern greenhouse of approximately 2,500 square metres. Growing tropical plants this far north requires precise climate control, but it also makes fully controlled growing conditions possible.
The cultivation takes place without synthetic pesticides, and irrigation is carried out using mineral-rich natural spring water. When the plant’s growing conditions are known precisely, it becomes possible to grow root crops whose origin, purity, and quality are fully controlled.
Arctic Turmeric
Arctic turmeric opens a new chapter in Finnish specialty crop cultivation. At Poutasen Puutarha, this tropical root is cultivated in Eastern Finland as part of a precisely controlled system where origin, growing conditions, and raw material quality are built with exceptional care from the very beginning.
Turmeric is a demanding tropical root that requires a long growing season, stable warmth, and carefully managed development. In this environment, its growth is guided step by step through the full cultivation cycle, giving the raw material a level of control, traceability, and refinement value that standard turmeric rarely carries.
This is also where Arctic turmeric separates clearly from imported turmeric. Much of the turmeric used globally moves through long chains of cultivation, drying, storage, transport, and distribution before processing or final use. At Poutasen Puutarha, the chain remains shorter, more transparent, and more closely connected to its origin from the start.
That difference shapes the raw material itself. Arctic turmeric grows as part of a cultivation model where the crop, its conditions, and its future refinement are understood as one connected whole. The result is a turmeric with stronger identity, clearer traceability, and a distinctly higher-value foundation.
Arctic turmeric brings together the demands of a tropical root, the precision of northern cultivation, and the strength of a controlled raw material chain in a way that stands clearly apart from standard imported turmeric.
Additional information
Why is mineral-rich natural spring water an important part of growing Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric?
At Poutasen Puutarha, Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric are irrigated with mineral-rich natural spring water. The water contains trace elements beneficial for plants and forms part of the controlled growing conditions that support plant well-being and the formation of a high-quality harvest.
What do fully controlled growing conditions mean in the cultivation of Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric?
Fully controlled growing conditions mean that greenhouse cultivation at Poutasen Puutarha allows temperature, humidity, light, and irrigation to be managed precisely throughout the growing season. When growing conditions are known and guided accurately, the origin, purity, and quality of Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric remain under control.
Why are ridge-based growing beds important in the cultivation of Arctic ginger?
At Poutasen Puutarha, Arctic ginger is grown in ridge-based growing beds that imitate the plant’s natural growing conditions. This helps prevent water from standing in the growing medium and keeps the root-zone temperature more stable. Ridge cultivation supports healthy root development and consistent quality in Finland-grown Arctic ginger.
Arctic Purity Can Be Seen in Nature
The purity of the growing environment is also visible in the surrounding nature. The greenhouse irrigation water is home to the Finnish salamander, which thrives only in clean waters. In the forest behind the greenhouses, a colony of Siberian jays nests – a signature species of northern forests, known for its sensitivity to environmental changes.
These signs of nature show that cultivation truly takes place in a clean environment, where agriculture and nature exist side by side.
Additional information
What does a clean growing environment mean in practice at Poutasen Puutarha?
At Poutasen Puutarha, greenhouse cultivation of Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric takes place without synthetic pesticides. Irrigation is carried out with mineral-rich natural spring water, and the growing conditions are monitored continuously so that temperature, air humidity, light, and root-zone conditions remain under control.
How do the lake and forest landscapes of Eastern Finland connect to this whole?
Poutasen Puutarha is located on the border of South Karelia and South Savo in Eastern Finland, surrounded by clean lake and forest landscapes. This environment is a visible part of the farm’s origin and the identity of the entire growing environment.
The Cultivation of Finland-Grown Arctic Ginger Begins in Controlled Conditions
At Poutasen Puutarha, the growth of Finland-grown Arctic ginger begins in a five-level vertical seedling system, where the first stages of development proceed under carefully controlled conditions. At this stage, the foundation is built for a plant whose quality, growth, and origin are known precisely from the very beginning. In the next stages of growth, Finland-grown Arctic ginger is cultivated in ridge-based growing beds. This solution imitates the plant’s natural growing conditions and helps control water levels while keeping the root zone temperature stable. This supports steady root development and enables a uniform harvest.The cultivation is also shaped by the special characteristics of the northern growing environment. Long summer daylight, cooler nights, and the Arctic environment are factors known in many plants to influence the formation of aromatic and bioactive compounds. The same phenomenon is also known in northern berries and herbs.In this whole process, what matters is not only that the plant grows in Finland, but that the entire cultivation chain is built in a controlled way from the very beginning. That is why Finland-grown Arctic ginger is not just a raw material, but the result of precisely guided cultivation expertise.
Energy management in Arctic Elixir’s cultivation is built into the entire growing process in such a way that energy demand, availability, and timing form one continuous system. Growth begins in a controlled indoor environment, where seedling development can be optimized with minimal and precisely targeted energy use. As spring progresses, increasing natural light is utilized in the greenhouses for the accumulation and storage of energy for later stages. As the plants move into the greenhouse phase, their growth is based on pre-allocated heat, balanced environmental control, and continuously adapting energy use, where natural rhythms and technology operate side by side. The objective is not to maximize short-term output, but to build a stable and predictable energy environment in which plants develop consistently, even under changing northern conditions. The entire system operates on renewable electricity supplied by Parikkalan Valo, enabling fossil-free cultivation without compromising process control or final product quality.
Additional information
What kind of growing conditions does ginger need?
Ginger needs warm and humid conditions. The ideal temperature is around 22–28°C. In Finland, this requires a temperature-controlled greenhouse where the climate is monitored and adjusted automatically according to the time of day and season.
How is humidity controlled?
Ginger thrives in high humidity, but excessive moisture increases risks for the crop. For that reason, humidity is regulated with sensors and, when necessary, by overhead irrigation or misting. At the same time, ventilation keeps the air moving and helps maintain a healthy growing environment.
How does light affect ginger growth?
The amount of light directly affects root development and yield. During Finland’s darker months, natural light alone is not enough for optimal growth, so supplementary lighting is used during germination and the seedling stage to ensure a balanced light period. In summer, the long daylight hours support growth naturally.
Why is the five-level vertical seedling system important?
Growth begins in a controlled seedling system where the first developmental stages can be guided precisely from the beginning. This strengthens control over the entire cultivation chain before the plant moves into later growth phases.
Why is ridge cultivation important?
Ginger is grown in ridge cultivation, meaning raised growing beds. This imitates the plant’s natural growing conditions, prevents water from standing in the growing medium, and helps keep the root-zone temperature stable around the clock.
Why is harvest timing important?
Harvest timing directly affects the quality of fresh ginger. Harvest takes place when the ginger is at its juiciest, most aromatic, and ready for use.
How Arctic Ginger Differs from Imported Ginger
Most of the ginger used in Europe is imported. The roots pass through a long logistics chain, spend time in storage, and often arrive for use weeks or months after harvest.
Arctic ginger at Poutasen Puutarha is harvested just before delivery. The short distance from greenhouse to use means genuinely fresh root with a juicy texture and a clean, fresh taste.
Additional information
How long can the imported ginger supply chain be?
Most ginger sold in Finland is imported from Asia or South America. The roots may have been harvested months before arriving in Finland, and when storage plus multiple logistics stages are included, nearly a year may have passed between harvest and use.
What kinds of treatments are used on imported ginger to extend shelf life?
Imported ginger is often treated with fungicides and coated with wax to extend shelf life. Poutasen Puutarha’s ginger is described as premium-quality untreated ginger without artificial wax.
What practical difference do you notice in fresh Finland-grown ginger?
Poutasen Puutarha’s ginger is juicy and tender. It is easy to use and does not need to be peeled in the same way as ginger that has gone through a long logistics chain. Its taste is fresh and clean, without the bitterness that can develop during long storage.
Why is a short raw material chain also important environmentally?
A shorter logistics chain means fewer emissions, more efficient distribution, and a smaller carbon footprint. In the case of Poutasen Puutarha’s ginger, it also means there is no need for long-distance air freight.
Why choose Finland-grown ginger?
Choosing Finland-grown ginger reduces environmental burden, supports cultivation innovation, strengthens self-sufficiency, supports Finnish food production, and enables more efficient distribution than long import chains.
A Clean Raw Material Chain from the Same Farm
At Poutasen Puutarha, cultivation, raw material, and refinement form one unified whole. The plants are grown on the farm’s own fields, the best roots are carefully selected for further processing, and the raw material chain remains fully controlled.When cultivation, selection, and refinement take place within the same operation, the origin remains transparent and the quality of the raw material stays consistent. This farm-to-refinement model is one of the key strengths behind Arctic Elixir® products.
Additional information
Where does Finnish ginger go after harvest?
After harvest, the ginger rhizomes are cleaned and packed. Part of the crop goes to fresh-ginger use, and part is selected for further refinement. In this way, the same Finnish ginger grown at Poutasen Puutarha continues from cultivation both into fresh use and into refined products.
What does it mean that the best roots are selected for further refinement?
Rhizomes suitable for further refinement are selected from the same controlled raw material chain. This keeps the origin transparent in later stages as well and ensures that refinement begins from the same Finland-grown ginger whose growing conditions are known precisely.
How does a transparent raw material chain continue from cultivation to the final product?
Poutasen Puutarha grows the Finnish ginger used in The Ginger. The Ginger is built around Finland-grown ginger, careful refinement, and a final product made in Finland. This keeps the origin visible throughout the chain, from cultivation to the finished product.
From Cultivation to Refinemen
The plants grown at Poutasen Puutarha also form the foundation of Arctic Elixir® products. The refining process includes, among other methods, CO₂ extraction, which makes it possible to isolate the plants’ aromatic oils and bioactive compounds cleanly, without chemical solvents.
This brings together cultivation, technology, and botanical expertise in a way that preserves the best qualities of the raw materials.
Read more about The Ginger
More detailed information about The Ginger, its composition, analytics, use, and storage can be found directly on The Ginger product page. The Ginger contains CO₂-extracted Finland-grown ginger, cold-pressed blackcurrant seed oil, and natural vitamin E, and its ginger oil is produced from more than 330 kilograms of fresh Finnish ginger per litre.
Additional information
What happens after harvest before CO₂ extraction?
The raw material is harvested when the plant has reached optimal maturity. After harvest, the plant material is dried at low temperatures so that terpenes and other bioactive compounds are preserved as well as possible. The dried material is ground into a fine powder and then dried again in a vacuum oven before extraction.
What stages belong to refinement after CO₂ extraction?
After CO₂ extraction, the extract may undergo winterization, where substances such as waxes and other impurities are removed at low temperatures. The oil is then filtered three times, with the final filtration performed at 0.3 microns. After filtration, any remaining water and ethanol residues are removed by vacuum evaporation, and the final purification is carried out through short path distillation.
How is refinement quality verified before bottling?
Each batch of oil is sent to an independent laboratory for testing before further processing and packaging. Laboratory testing confirms purity and the correct levels of active compounds. After that, the oils are blended according to precise formulations, bottled, and packed into finished products.
Why are these refinement stages important for raw material quality?
Low-temperature drying, vacuum drying, CO₂ extraction, purification stages, and laboratory testing form a chain in which the quality built during cultivation is preserved as far as possible into the finished product. These stages remove impurities, protect sensitive compounds, and help ensure a clean and consistent result.
Poutasen Puutarha’s Long Cultivation Heritage
At Poutasen Puutarha, cultivation expertise has been built over decades. Traditional Finnish greenhouse cultivation has been combined with modern technology and new specialty crops such as Arctic ginger and Arctic turmeric.
The clean nature of Eastern Finland, a strong cultivation heritage, and high technology have together created an environment where tropical root crops can grow in Arctic conditions. The result is a whole in which Arctic cultivation, clean agriculture, and high-level refinement meet.
Additional information
What is the long greenhouse cultivation experience at Poutasen Puutarha built on in practice?
Poutasen Puutarha’s long greenhouse cultivation experience is built on decades of growing work. Long experience in tomato cultivation has been the basis for an operating model that has helped build a high-quality harvest even in the Finnish climate.
How does modern technology appear in Poutasen Puutarha’s greenhouse cultivation?
Modern technology appears in temperature-controlled greenhouses, automatic climate monitoring and adjustment, supplementary lighting, and humidity control with sensors. These systems make it possible to keep temperature, humidity, and light aligned with plant needs throughout the growing season.
How does quality built in cultivation continue into refinement?
Quality built in cultivation continues from correct harvest timing to low-temperature drying, grinding, vacuum drying, CO₂ extraction, purification stages, and laboratory testing. In this way, the quality built in the raw material is carried as far as possible from cultivation into the finished product.
What makes ginger cultivation in Finland especially demanding from a production perspective?
Ginger cultivation in Finland requires precisely controlled greenhouse conditions, long practical experience, and technical monitoring. In addition, ginger cultivation is not covered by the Finnish agricultural subsidy system, which makes its development and production especially demanding.
How are Poutasen Puutarha and Arctic Elixir® connected?
Poutasen Puutarha and Arctic Elixir® form a Finnish whole in Eastern Finland, on the border of South Karelia and South Savo. Cultivation expertise, modern technology, and careful refinement continue from raw material to finished product.
Finnish Work, the Key Flag Symbol and Certified Cultivation
At Poutasen Puutarha, Finnish-grown ginger is part of a production model where cultivation, work and manufacturing all remain in Finland. This gives the entire operation a clear origin and a high level of control starting from the raw material itself.
Our ginger cultivation is covered by SMAK IP certified cultivation. This certification strengthens traceability, quality work and production control in cultivation. In the case of Finnish-grown ginger, it highlights the fact that cultivation is carried out with precision and long-term commitment.
We are a member company of the Association for Finnish Work, and we have the Key Flag Symbol. Together, they make visible the role of Finnish work and the fact that our products are made in Finland. They also reinforce what is essential in everything we do: the origin remains clear, the work is done in Finland, and the finished product is created within the same domestic chain.
At Poutasen Puutarha, Finnish-grown ginger, Finnish work and a finished product made in Finland belong together. This is reflected in the way we operate and in the level we maintain throughout production.