Sustainable Travel Finland label for Iloranta

Iloranta receives a Sustainable Travel Finland label as a sign of sustainable and long-term work in sustainable tourism. The Iloranta family has lived on Hannula farm for over a hundred years, and they have organised tourism activities since 1937. Sustainable development is one of our values, and we have always lived in harmony with nature and taken care of the environment. We have always strived to employ local services and local staff, as well as to give work to entrepreneurs in the area as much as possible. This way, Iloranta does its part to keep the municipality lively.

In recent years, more attention has been drawn to sustainable development than before. The determined development of sustainable tourism began in 2014 and awarded Iloranta its first certificate from ECEAT. The Finnish Eco-Agrotourism Association – ECEAT Finland granted Iloranta a certificate of ecological and cultural sustainability, and now Iloranta has been awarded a Sustainable Travel Finland certificate. We are committed to comply with the Sustainable Travel Finland certificate. It offers sustainable tourism measures in the everyday life of Iloranta and its customers.

LOCAL FOOD AND HOMEMADE BREAD

Iloranta is an old farm that has been converted to serve today’s customers on holidays, business clients, school camps, senior citizens, and foreign customers. We want to offer all our customers the same: well-being all around, tasty

local food, Finnish countryside, and the peace of nature as well as various exercise activities..

Local ̈food is Iloranta’s pride. Meat,̈ fish, crayfish, potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms̈, berries, and flour are locally sourced to Iloranta. Some food supplies come directly from ̈nearby forests̈ or lakes̈̈. Some of them are from our own yard or field.

We are proud of being able to tell the exact origin of our foods. We have picked the mushrooms in the mushroom sauce and salad, the moose has been felled in Kalkkivuori, perhaps even by Mikko, Iloranta’s old master.

The vegetables come from the Aspila farm, and the potatoes originate from Tuittula’s sandy soils, from Simo Nikula. We bake our own bread. The most traditional one of them is rye bread from the early 20th century when Elin Iloranta became the mistress of the house. She brought the sourdough with her, and we still use the same culture in our own bread.

RESPONSIBILITY IN ILORANTA

The new wing of Iloranta, Omenatarha (Apple Garden), uses geothermal heat which is also used in the main building, both in floor heating and in hot water. There are air source heat pumps in the cottages and in the lobby of the red house. In the past, we rented the fields to a neighbour and abandoned the tractor because it is too big for our needs. The necessary work will be carried out with an all-terrain vehicle.

We consciously try to carry out a number of Iloranta’s activities using our own muscles. The only exception is the fishing ferry, but the size of the engine is small in relation to the size of the ferry, and it is only used for short trips in the summer.

We also minimise the environmental impacts on the grounds when moving around on the marked paths on the foot, on bike and even with a kicksled or snowshoes, not with snowmobiles or ATVs. Another advantage of this is that you can move around in nature relatively quietly and not disturb others.

Sorting and recycling have been developed over the years and customers are also committed to it with good results. We want to be involved in promoting sustainable development for our part in the future too. We have a lot of child guests on school camps who hopefully make use of our concrete energy saving tips in their everyday lives. These small things can be turning off lights and TV when leaving the room. Or that the room should be ventilated with cool air quickly so that the heat doesn’t escape. Or that air heat pumps are used for heating instead of radiators.

As an employer, we also see it as a regional obligation to hire local people to work for us so that Hauho remains attractive. Regional co-operation with other entrepreneurs in the region is also important to us.

SOCIAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT—CUSTOMERS FOR DECADES

At our farm, social sustainable development is certainly in a better state than anywhere else in Finland, and our customers are incredibly loyal. We have fourth generation Iloranta guests and the longest uninterrupted customer relationships are 50 years old. There are already dozens, if not hundreds, of third generation Iloranta guests. Today’s city residents no longer have connections with rural areas, and for many, we are like their grandma’s house. That’s what we want to be.

Author: Samu Lescelius/Iloranta