Traditionally, ancient cultures allowed themselves to be guided by the rhythms of nature, but today’s ever-ready mentality tends to subject people to the rhythm of business life. It’s vital that we re-tune ourselves to the rhythms of nature so that the virtual, artificial world doesn’t dictate our lives. A good sense of nature helps us experience the change of seasons and moods. By living in harmony with the seasons, we’ll achieve true harmony again.

From my childhood I remember this twinkling little dot high up in the sky one spring. It was a lark. Of summer I recall the smell of newly made birch whisks and the sauna as the sun began to set. The taste of my grandma’s bread, fresh from the oven, with homemade butter. And my grandad teaching me how to tap a birch tree in spring, and the wonderful taste of its juice, which to a child was sweeter than lemonade. These smells, tastes, sounds and memories need to be preserved intact. Not so that our children and grandchildren have to experience them digitally! Organic Estonia is an initiative that takes steps to preserve all this. That’s why we’re supporting the project, so we can be sure our children will have the same unsullied memories.

Virtually every Estonian has some place they go to feel at one with nature. In Kodavere, near Lake Peipsi, my family’s ancestral farm where I go to recharge my batteries. From it I bring back with me to the city the smell of smoked fish and the buzz of bees on summer evenings. I want to keep the memory of the wonderful moments I’ve had by the lake and village alive for my children, too. Let’s preserve our organic Estonia for future generations as well!

Estonia’s pristine nature is one of our greatest assets. The idea of Organic Estonia is to send a clear message to the world of everything we have in Estonia that’s authentic, unique and special. At the national level, it’s an inspiring idea of how our economy, living environment, human health and rural development could be positively affected if we noticed this resource all around us and worked very carefully with it.