Soja Sädeharju

Soja Sädeharju (formerly Sanna Söderlund) is a senior specialist in the regenerative agriculture team at BSAG. As a baby, she was carried through the forest in a mushroom basket. 

The love for Finnish nature that was nurtured in this mushroom basket has continually grown and expanded into a desire to work for the well-being of the entire planet. Soja is passionate about the wonders of the human mind and is an eternal optimist and focuses on solutions rather than the problems themselves.

“I am a die hard fan of Finnish farmers, and I think that things can be done sustainably – even regeneratively – on our farms. Food production needs competent and enthusiastic farmers, and I am privileged to be able to participate in creating the future with them.”

Between 2016 and 2022, Soja has worked full-time in BSAG’s regenerative agricultural team, first as a designer and then as a head of training. From February 2023, work will continue as a part-time senior specialist. Thanks to the grant awarded by the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, it is possible for Soja to fulfill his dream of combining research and agricultural environmental work. The subject of the social science research is the transition of pioneer farmers to regenerative farming practices – intuition as a part of decision-making process, and it is located on the Carbon Action platform. The research material consists of the experiences of farmers on the Carbon Action platform.

“It’s great that there are so many different perspectives in the world, and opportunities to choose from among them! My job is to highlight the less-obvious ones, and to lead people down new paths.” 

Soja lives in Pirkanmaa on her husband’s farm, which is one of the Finland’s hundred Carbon Action farms. The everyday life of the organic suckler cow farm is coloured by quite a lot of children and various animals, such as the landrace chickens of the Savitaipale breed, which are in the conservation program of the Finnish Natural Resources Agency. In addition to landraces, Soja has Finnish cultural heritage close to her heart, which she hopes to be able to nurture in the future by, among other things, maintaining the tradition of workhorses. The collars has already been fitted in for Soja’s Finnish horse foal.

Professional background

2023–  University of Eastern Finland, Visiting Researcher

2016– Baltic Sea Action Group, Head of Training and cooperation with farmers

2016 University of Turku, Master of Education (adult education teacher, substitute teaching)  

2012–2013 City of Somero, Paimionjoki-yhdistys ry, RAVITA (an agricultural water protection project)   

2011–2013  Entrepreneurship in the equine sector  

2004–2012  Pernod Ricard Finland Oy, pre-preparation   

1996–2004  Various positions in the service, tourism and equine industries   

Qualifications

Postgraduate studies, Faculty of Social Sciences (major in social pedagogy), University of Eastern Finland, 2021– 

Edible forest garden study module (15 credits), Livia Vocational College, 2019

Research trainee, University of Turku, 2016

Master of Education (major in adult education, minors in advanced psychology, special pedagogy, future studies), University of Turku, 2012–2016

BA in Agronomy (major in horse and stable management, minor in business economics), Häme University of Applied Sciences, 2008–2012  

Degree in tourism (tourism service provider, major in trail riding), Haapavesi Vocational College, 2000–2003 

Degree in farm management (major in horse and stable management), Ypäjä Equine College, 1998–2000