Smélyne
Justina and Laurynas Kaučikai
Farm manager
Farm name
Smėlyne
Farm type
Mixed farm
Location
Šiauliai district, Lithuania
Farm size
50 hectares
Primary soil type
Mostly sandy, some clay loam
Temperature range
–25°C to +30°C (USDA Zone ~5b–6a)
Average precipitation
600–780 mm/year
Social structure
Family-owned farm run by Justina and Laurynas Kaučikai
Sales channels
Direct-to-consumer
Produce
Grass-fed beef, eggs, biological preparations, and educational workshops on regenerative farming
Contact
Smélyne transition to regenerative farming
Climate Farmer since
2020
Regenerative from the beginning
Investment costs
- Beginning inputs to start and bring fertility back (compost, lime, and topsoil for the garden)
- Hay for animals in winter
Investment costs
- Wanted to escape the city, moved to the countryside to the land of the grandparents
- Build a straw bale house
- The land was abused by conventional farming and was previously a war zone. Ecosystems needed true regeneration.
- Completely degraded sandy acidic soil, which was treated heavily with Glyphosate in the past
- It was hard to plant in the beginning
- First tried to regenerate the soil with new inputs (topsoil, compost, limestone, rock dusts)
-
New practices
Challenges so far
- Local Market was not ready for high quality organic poultry and eggs
- Animal (goats especially) who destroy and kill trees
Outcomes so far
- Improved soils
- Increased wild animal population
- More birds
- Dung beetles emerged and the population is increasing
Learnings of your journey
- First work with the land first and prepare it, and then establish trees, otherwise it is very input intensive
- Theory and practical context often differ. Therefore, try something to get feedback on nature and then apply and adjust from the feedback
- Grazing management might differ in reality, one must adapt to context
“Reading about something in books is one thing. Living it through effort, failure, and experience is where true understanding begins and continues to evolve.”
— The reason why Smélyne decided to become a training farm
Future ambitions
Try to increase the herd size as much as the land can handle
Create more of an educational centre
Introduce more people to the farm and to regenerative agriculture
Spread a regenerative mindset to nearby farms
This farm is part of something bigger.
So can you. Apply for the Regenerative Agronomy Training.
Our partners
Our partners
