Gardens and allotment plots are not just for humans; they are an excellent way to promote biodiversity in cities. Cultivation that nurtures biodiversity takes care of pollinators and the soil with its organisms. Properly managed soil also sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and aids in rainwater absorption. Urban farming is an opportunity to produce clean local food, promote sustainable development and community spirit, increase physical activity and mental well-being in everyday life. Contact with beneficial soil microbes has also been shown to have an impact on human health, such as immunity.
The city of Tampere has 14 allotment plot areas in different parts of the city. Some of the allotment plots are perennial and some are annual. The size of the plots varies between 20m² and 200m². Prices depend on the plot type and the duration of the cultivation period. You can check the current rental prices on the website of the Tampere 4H (NGO). Tampere 4H is responsible for managing and renting the plots. Organic farming is preferred in the areas and the use of pesticides, for example, is prohibited.
There are also many community gardens for urban farming in Tampere. You can find more information about the urban farming opportunities in Tampere on this page.
The locations of all plot areas (annual and perennial) can be found on the map.
Annual plots are rented for one year at a time, and because of that, only annual plants can be cultivated on them. Soil of the annual plots is tilled once or twice a year: in autumn and again in spring before plot distribution. Soil tilling is done with the help of a tractor as soon as the soil has dried sufficiently. It might take some time to wait for the soil to be dry enough for tilling. After tilling, the plots are measured and marked, after which the farmers are given permission to start cultivation.
The aim is to start cultivation as early as possible in the spring (mostly during May).
Perennial plots are rented for several years at a time. This means that a rental contract continues automatically from autumn to next summer and so on. The rental contract is dissolved when a farmer wants to quit farming or this needs to be done because of breaking the rules or unpaid rental fees.
A farmer of a perennial plot is committed to take care of one's plot and pay the rent for it every year. Tilling of plot soil is on farmer's own responsibility, so it is possible to cultivate perennial plants like perennial herbs and berry bushes.
All perennial plots are taken at the moment and they are very popular. You can register to a queue for perennial plots by filling out a registering form you can find below.
There are also community gardens in Tampere, usually managed by communities. If you want your own community garden to be included in the listing, please contact Project Coordinator Elina Pulliainen. You can find the contact details at the bottom of the page.
This site is made by Carbon Neutral Actions Development Programme (2022–2025) and FUSILLI project (2021–2024). FUSILLI is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No.101000717.
The short address for this page is tampere.fi/en/urbanfarming
