Sander Hiire

Sander Hiire is a young farmer who has actively participated in the operations of the family enterprise Mäemõisa OÜ for 9 years, taking on a leadership role in the past couple of years. Mäemõisa cultivates 1100 hectares of land, growing cereal, legume, and oil crops. The current goal is to keep the soil consistently covered with plants, even during winter. Direct drilling has been implemented in the company since 2013, and cover crops have been grown since 2018.

Soil health has been receiving increasing attention at Mäemõisa OÜ, led by Sander’s sister, Marian Nummert, who is an ecologist and a permaculture advocate in Estonia. In addition to insightful discussions with Marian, Sander has gathered inspiration on soil life and sustainable agricultural practices from various foreign podcasts, books, and his UK consultant, Ben Taylor-Davies (RegenBen). He ventured into regenerative agriculture and the underlying principles more actively in 2021, largely influenced by attending the Groundswell conference in the UK that same year.

The latest focus within the company is the “Mäemõisa Soil Life” development department, bringing a new generation of enthusiasm and interests to the existing roots and connecting the efforts of Marian and Sander towards regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Sander has actively shared his experiences and knowledge of the regenerative agriculture journey in Estonia through various workshops, conferences, and media appearances.