Eco-health farms
 
Eco-Health Farms do not only share knowledge and worldview of sustainable living, they also demonstrate varied practices about how to survive successfully with health tourism, organic farming and conservation of the nature of Latvia. The farms already received awards for outstanding results in nature protection, organic farming and renovation of cultural heritage.
 
Eco-Health Farms tries to achieve harmony between natural systems and human health by integrating tourism in ancestral traditions, nature protection and health preservation. The staff wants to raise awareness of the fundamental relationship between natural systems and human health and brings this into practice. “It is for those travelers who want an unadulterated, natural rural setting, where cows graze and are milked and medicinal herbs are dried right next to the guest house.”
 
The Eco-Health Farm network has now grown up to 50 farms, with an average of a hundred guests per season at each farm. These are farms that conserve nature, implement alternative resource-saving technologies, and use organic farming practices. At the same time, they try to promote environmental sustainability and share their experience with other farmers. The voluntary leadership and seven member-board found that it’s not always easy to start a project like this: “The main barrier is the necessity for all involved to have an environmental consciousness, because this is easier for some than others. It is an ambitious project and we have set very high criterions for ourselves.”