What's new with us?

We are now looking for a temporary employee for 1 year for our office in Storvreta. As a project manager/coordinator, you will work on running and coordinating projects within local food, shorter food chains and sustainable rural development.

What happens when people themselves take the initiative to develop the place where they live? During the Rural Parliament 2026, Daniel participated in the inspiration trip along the Vindelälven and took part in seminars on the role of civil society, local engagement and preparedness. Here he shares some of the stories, meetings and thoughts that came with him home from his days in Skellefteå.

About 50 recreational growers from Vallentuna and the surrounding area gathered last night at Orkesta community center to learn more about emergency farming.

Last night, about 30 people interested in growing crops went out to Näsets Gröna, beautifully situated with a view of Ekoln.

The newsletter for May 2026 is here, the last chance to register for our meetings!

This weekend, Ung Planetskötare had a kick-off meeting at Sigtuna Folk High School. Now ten young people aged 17–25 are working on planning this summer's environmental project.

The Smart Villages study circle in Vallentuna consists of three meetings during May–June 2026. We will meet in Vallentuna municipal hall, in the same building as the high school at Gymnasievägen 4C.

Come along to Näsets Gröna and learn more about how to grow a variety of vegetables in a natural way and without dependence on imported inputs.

Welcome to Orkesta community center on May 21st to change plants, learn more about emergency cultivation and meet other committed people!

Check in and read the March 2026 newsletter. Join us at upcoming network meetings and book the date for the annual meeting, May 20, now.

A diagram illustrating both the municipalities' financial contributions to LEADER projects (input) and the total value created (outcome) between 2023 and 2025

Welcome to a study visit to Langhard Lantbruk on May 18! At Langhard Lantbruk outside Vallentuna, Helena and Joakim Langhard run the farm with the idea that food and agriculture do not have to be large-scale to be significant. Quite the opposite.

On Wednesday, April 22nd, Emil Sandström, associate professor and lecturer in rural development, will lecture on site, at SLU Ultuna.

Study visit that shows how community and network building contribute to regenerative place development. On Wednesday, May 20th, we are arranging a study trip in connection with our annual meeting. Register for both in the form below.

On March 23, 12:00–1:30 PM, "Soilsister" Malin Isaksson will hold a digital lunch seminar on the importance of microorganisms for soil health and plant vigor.

February 1st opens up new opportunities to apply for subprojects – take the chance and apply too! We also have several digital information meetings coming up and book the date for the annual meeting now – May 20th.

Meet our new intern who will help us with various tasks during the spring.

The year 2025 is drawing to a close, and it usually makes sense to look in the rearview mirror to see what actually happened. And what a year it was!

In this newsletter we are looking for communities that want to develop local smart strategies and present upcoming opportunities for sub-projects.

On November 13th, we gathered at Wik Castle together with a wonderful group of farmers, horticulturalists and students – all with a common interest in how we can build healthier soils and store more carbon in our landscapes.

Large turnout at last week's meeting about emergency farming at Storvreta parish farm.

On Tuesday, November 18th, we will be upgrading our IT systems, we ask that you avoid sending us emails on that day.

Over two intensive days, producers, entrepreneurs, municipal representatives and committed stakeholders from across the region gathered to talk about something that affects us all, namely the food on our plates, and how we can secure it in the future.

So far, 14 new sub-projects have been approved within the umbrella project Richer Water and Landscape. These are 14 initiatives that cultivate food, diversity, nature experiences and engagement in different places in Upplandsbygd's beautiful landscape.

Welcome to a meeting with the aim of promoting community and engagement in Gimo.

At the Golf Club in Vallentuna, participants in the project "We Ecopreneurs" gathered to talk about local food and eat local food - namely the launched "Stockholm Meal".

Welcome to an inspirational meeting on November 13th about increased carbon sequestration and soil health at the farm level and how it can contribute to a larger climate transition. An afternoon with lunch, lecture with Jessica Johansson at Svensk Kolinlagring and exchange of experiences between participants.

Local food is a crucial part of our preparedness. Welcome to our conference on local food production and strengthened local sales channels! November 3-4 at Sigtuna Foundation

We started the preparedness week by discussing food preparedness in Sigtuna. Here you can read more about what our participants had to say about the topic!

Children are welcome! This is the first in a series of meetings about emergency cultivation for recreational growers. During the evening you will be inspired and learn about how you can plan an emergency cultivation for next season together with others.

Welcome to a workshop with the theme: "Unique local flavors - menus created from local products" September 28th from 10 am to 2 pm. We offer a local interpretation of the Stockholm meal for lunch!

Upplandsbygd, Sigtuna Municipality and Herresta Lada invite you to a morning and afternoon at the pleasant Herresta Lada where we will continue working on the very relevant topic of food security. With a focus on Sigtuna Municipality.

On September 11–12, the board and office gathered for our year-end meeting, where we looked forward to the next financial year together. We spent breakfast at the Sigtuna Foundation discussing goals, areas of focus and how we can strengthen our support for project owners and local initiatives.

Earlier this week we gathered in Gimo for an association dialogue, and we got to meet many active and committed local associations. Read more about how it went!

Meet our new intern who will help us in the coming weeks with evaluations, communication and much more.

Welcome to a digital breakfast seminar with information about how Uppsala Municipality plans for increased food security and how these plans fit in with Eat Uppsala and our strategies in Upplandsbygd.

Welcome to a meeting with the aim of promoting community and engagement in Gimo.

This activity has already been!

A little look back at what we did at Herresta Lada in Sigtuna on May 8th when we talked about food preparedness with a focus on Sigtuna municipality.

We are closed for vacation June 30-July 13. We will be back July 14. Wishing you all a nice summer!

Seek money to
strengthen your village.

Would you like to apply for a sub-project with us? Bring your idea to the digital writing workshop on August 6th from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Together with Organic Farmers Uppland, we are organizing a field trip on June 16th at Jon Orvendal's farms in Heby municipality.

Are you a resident of Gimo and curious to talk more about what you want to do in your free time? Come to Gimo Square on May 22 or 23.

Developing the place you love…we did it on April 8th in Björklinge. What are you proud of about your place? Tell others!

In April we visited Elin Boström at Bobrunna Farm. There, a meeting place is emerging for learning about living and eating sustainably in harmony with a rich flora and fauna.

Welcome to Upplandsbygd's annual meeting 2025. Register by May 14th.

Thursday, May 15, 6:00–7:00 PM. Uppsala Municipality and Upplandsbygd Lokalt Ledd Utveckling invite local associations and small businesses to a digital writing workshop to develop ideas for leader projects.

(This activity has been cancelled. We refer interested parties who want to develop ideas for leader projects to register for our digital writing studio on May 15: https://upplandsbygd.se/digital-skrivarstuga-for-leaderprojekt/ )

On Friday, May 9, during Rural Week, exciting discussions will be held about the conditions for good rural development in Uppsala.

An afternoon of local food, inspiration and growing tips. Sunday, April 27, 12–4 p.m. at Vallentuna Golf Club.

A successful lecture with Linda Magyar on March 17 showed how interests in forestry and nature conservation can be combined when creating a forest garden.

Tuesday, May 6, 5:00–7:00 p.m. Vallentuna Municipality and Upplandsbygd Lokalt Ledd Utveckling invite local associations and small business owners to a writing workshop to develop ideas for leader projects.

Upplandsbygd, Sigtuna Municipality and Herresta Lada invite you to a morning and afternoon at the pleasant Herresta Lada where we will discuss the very relevant topic of food security. With a focus on Sigtuna Municipality

On May 5th, during the national Rural Week, exciting discussions will be held about the conditions for good rural development in Östhammar.

Welcome to an inspiring meeting about place development on April 8th in Björklinge! During this event we will both make important contacts and hear from experienced Petra Lindberg from Kurbits.

”Sustainability is more complex than eating vegetarian”
Do you agree? Or are you wondering?
On Monday we gathered to discuss issues surrounding food, food chains, producer conditions and societal values, among other things.

Welcome to an exciting introduction to forest gardens and horticulture with Linda Magyar on March 17! During this event, we will explore how forest gardens contribute to ecosystem services and their connection to sustainable forestry.

”"Sustainability is more complex than eating vegetarian" Welcome to a lecture with Richard Tellström, one of the foremost experts on food culture and meal history. Register here!

The February 2025 newsletter is here! A lot has happened at Upplandsbygd lately. In our newsletter we share exciting projects, great collaborations and what's coming up.

Yes! Says Martin Reutgard and Martin Karlsson at Ecopelag.

Hågaby Urban Farming outside Uppsala has implemented a project in 2023–2024 to convert growing beds into perennial, sustainable growing systems. The work has provided valuable insights into water conservation and delivering perennial vegetables to school kitchens.

On November 6th, we made an inspiring study visit to Noors Äppellund outside Knivsta where Mikael and Louise Durling enthusiastically take on the responsibility of caring for the 150-year-old apple trees.

Here, visitors can pick berries, enjoy flowers and sit among insect-friendly seating areas – a result of collaboration between a local association, artists and the municipality.

Last week, Klövtrampet – Rävsten's new hiking trail – was inaugurated.

This year's transition forum is over and Upplandsbygd brings many new friends and deeper collaborations in the locally led transition work.

Upplandsbygd project workshop at the Transition Forum in Hågaby, Uppsala.

Pella Thiel's opening speech and Carmen Blanco Valer's lecture inspired, challenged and touched.

Through our local network, we saw the opportunity to contribute to initiatives that can make the Baltic Sea cleaner and promote sustainable business from a local perspective. By developing innovative methods for harvesting reeds and cultivating mussels, which can then be converted into, among other things, animal feed, the project aims to reduce nutrient leakage into the sea. Read about the project's successes here.

Upplandsbygd and Sjöutsikt AB invites you to an open house during the Baltic Sea Days. See the reed business in operation and discover the potential of reeds for sustainable rural development.

Follow Bobrunna Gård's work and successes in their various LEADER projects and participate in their "Sustainability Festival" to see and learn more about their efforts on site.

Are you a small business owner in crafts, arts or health? The Saga Village Association is looking for entrepreneurs who want to set up a table, have sales and showcase their business at their annual event.

Now is your chance to book one of the last tickets.

To everyone who shows the way towards a more sustainable future

We are now looking for a new colleague for our office in Storvreta. As an accounting economist, you will work with invoice management, ongoing accounting, payroll management, preparation of annual accounts and tax returns, financial advice, preparation of applications for support and payment of projects.

From Thursday, May 30th at 10:00 AM onwards, it may be difficult to reach us by email as we upgrade our email system.

We expect the upgrade to be complete by Friday afternoon, May 31st.

Here you can read about the 2024 Annual Meeting, which took place on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at Kulturoasen in Hågaby. The day offered inspiring updates about our joint work for rural development.

The project aims to promote biodiversity in the green area at Källör in Östhammar city. The site will be strengthened as a place where children and adults can learn about plants, animals and the importance of nature.

Hi everyone! Here's a little post from our latest Sustainable Entrepreneurship meeting. It's about everything from EU money and applications to small-scale pioneers.

Workshop with the theme of forest gardens in Skyttorp, successful lecture with Philipp Weiss in March and upcoming lectures with David Jonstad and Mary Ann.

Hi everyone! Here's a little post from our latest (physical) meeting with the participants of Sustainable Entrepreneurship, one of our seminar leaders in the program and former participant in the last round of Sustainable Entrepreneurship. It's about everything from Elinor Ostrom, collaborations and polycentric societies to bumper stickers.

In the middle of little Skyttorp, an exciting venture is being planned for a public, cooperatively run forest garden. The first lecture in the series was held on February 28th, and it was an evening filled with knowledge and inspiration for all the green fingers out there. What do you wish would be here? What functions can it fulfill in our village? Come and make an impact!

Hi everyone! Here is a little post from our latest (physical) meeting with the participants in Sustainable Entrepreneurship, one of our seminar leaders in the program and two former participants in the last round of Sustainable Entrepreneurship. It's about everything from inspiring artwork, to dear return visits and last but not least "Lighten the Heart Notes"”

A small conversation turned into a fully booked lecture. Dalby Bygdegård and Upplandsbygd collaborated for a packed lecture with emergency preparedness expert Patrik Sellman.

Come to a lecture with Patrick Sellman – known from, among other things, the podcast "I väntan på Katastrofen", which he runs together with Kalle Zackari Wahlström.

Come to Bobrunna Gård and be inspired by 3 inspiring speakers - completely free of charge!

The Rural Network highlights our methods for contributing to sustainable transition through locally led development in the podcast Podden Landet.

We have an intern with us right now, please read more about him!

Hi everyone! Here is a short post from our latest (physical) meeting with the participants in Sustainable Entrepreneurship + two of our seminar leaders in the program. Sustainable Entrepreneurship is a program at Upplandsbygd for entrepreneurs in our area who both want to run their own business and contribute to something bigger - something that is good for both us people and the planet. Here you can read more about the program, the entrepreneurs and the meeting itself!

Join Upplandsbygd for the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation's event "EU, the forest and the climate".
Where? Uppsala City Library
When? Wednesday, January 24th, 6-7:30 PM

Would you like to receive support for forest-related public benefit projects? This day brought together committed participants to explore innovative ideas that can promote local initiatives related to sustainable forestry.

Österbybruk Fishing Association plans to maintain the water level of Stordammen by purchasing a reed and water lily cutting unit for an existing boat and purchasing boats for rental, which is the first step to increasing the use of the dam and its tributaries for residents and visitors.

Last week we had a meeting at Wik Castle, 20 kilometers west of Uppsala. The theme was ”Sustainable Entrepreneurship”. Sustainable Entrepreneurship is a program at Upplandsbygd for entrepreneurs in our area who want to both run their own business and contribute to something bigger - something that is good for both us humans and the planet. Here you can read more about the program, the entrepreneurs and the meeting itself!

An inspiring conference in Sustainable Entrepreneurship where we, together with experts in the field, answer questions such as: How can you achieve increased profitability in a small-scale and sustainable business in Upplandsbygd? What is important to think about now to build a robust business for the future? How do you become partners instead of competitors?

During this excursion we have learned so much about the importance of biodiversity, the significance of natural forests, and the impact of different forestry practices on our environment.

(The event has already been) The Forest Meeting will be an inspiring platform for sharing thoughts and ideas about the future of forestry and the possibilities of starting Leader projects on the same theme.

To achieve big common goals, many small processes are required. Read about Upplandsbygd's journey towards sustainable transformation!

Personal and beautiful inspiration for sustainable transformation through locally led development!

Did you know that we have 2 projects underway where we need participants?

Extended response times during the summer.

On May 28, Upplandsbygd and some of our network participants had the privilege of visiting Fjärdhundraland and gaining a fascinating insight into the area's history and ambitions.

Yesterday we had a successful annual meeting at Kårsta-Ekskogens community center in Vallentuna municipality - big thanks to everyone who attended!

If you are part of the Upplandsbygd network, you are welcome to a study visit to Fjärdhundraland on May 28th.

New ideas and collaborations took shape during this year's network meeting.

*SERVICE ADDED* Project managers with an interest in sustainable natural resource management are sought.

Closing and kick-off conference with the project participants in Inclusive Upplandsbygd on April 15 in Knivsta.

The window is now to act on the climate crisis and secure a sustainable future that we can live in.