Around 7 a.m. every summer, the mist rolls over Sweden’s fields where Mossa Garden’s story quietly unfolds.
Cheese with hemp and ice-cream with carrots might seem odd to city dwellers, but for the Olsen family, they’re just the latest milestones in a long legacy of doing things nature’s way.
Tyler Hemp (host) recalls his own wanderlust across Europe, arriving (in spirit) at a family farm that was organic before organic was cool.
Enter Ebba-Maria Olsen: daughter, CEO, and a self-proclaimed hempster on a mission to prove that the future of farming tastes a lot like innovation—and maybe a little nutty.
Roots, Rain, and Resilience: The Unlikely Rise of Mossa Garden
Nestled in the fertile Skåne region, Mossa Garden stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the Swedish family farm.
Its roots trace back to 1811, when the land was first cultivated during Sweden’s great land reform era. Through generations, the Olsen family has tended this soil, nurturing not just crops but a legacy of sustainable agriculture.
The Olsens made a bold move in 1985, long before organic farming became mainstream in Sweden.
By choosing to grow their vegetables, root crops, and grains organically, they set Mossa Garden apart as a pioneer in organic hemp products and sustainable practices.
This early leap into eco-friendly agriculture laid the foundation for the farm’s future innovations.
Family has always been at the heart of Mossa Garden’s story. With five siblings growing up on the land, the farm became a place of shared dreams and hard work. As Ebba-Maria Olsen recalls,
“We kids could always run around in the farm and on the fields and try the harvest and enjoy yourself together with our parents.”
This sense of togetherness shaped the farm’s direction, with each family member contributing to its growth.
In 2005, Ebba-Maria, daughter of founders Marianne and Bengt Olsen, stepped up as CEO. Her leadership marked a new era, expanding Mossa Garden’s scope beyond traditional farming.
The farm shop became a local hub, while direct delivery of organic produce to schools and businesses strengthened community ties.
Notably, Mossa Garden was among the first in Sweden to launch an online vegetable box service in 1998, bringing fresh, organic produce—and eventually a growing hemp products range—directly to customers’ doors.
Today, Mossa Garden’s journey from soil to supper is a blend of tradition and innovation.
The Olsen family’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, direct sales, and community engagement has made their family farm in Sweden a model for others seeking to balance modern business with enduring values.
Seed by Seed: Diving into Hemp, Stigma, and Sustainability
The story of hemp at Mossa Garden began in 2007, sparked by the innovative spirit of Ebba-Maria Olsen’s father.
Always eager to try new crops, he saw potential in hemp…not just for its uses, but for its role in sustainable agriculture. As Ebba-Maria recalls,
“So in 2007 we put the seeds in the ground. In 2008 we had the Mossa Garden festival… there was hemp, one of the most important plants to show.”
The following year, Mossa Garden hosted its first hemp maze and harvest festival. This event was more than a celebration; it was a statement. With live music, children’s activities, and a sprawling hemp maze, the festival aimed to reconnect people with nature and educate them about hemp’s possibilities, from construction to cuisine.
The community gathered, learned, and began to see hemp in a new light, helping to break down the longstanding hemp stigma in Sweden.
At first, Ebba-Maria and her family experimented with hemp for building materials.
But soon, they shifted focus to food, exploring products like hemp seed oil and protein-rich hemp seeds. This transition mirrored a broader movement toward sustainable, plant-based foods and highlighted hemp’s versatility.
Regulatory Roadblocks: EU Rules and Seed Sourcing
Despite their progress, Mossa Garden faced strict EU regulations.
Swedish farmers cannot simply replant their own cannabis seeds; instead, they must purchase certified seeds each year…mainly imported from France, Germany, Poland, or Latvia.
This not only increases costs but also limits farm autonomy.
As a result, the dream of fully local, circular hemp cultivation remains out of reach for many Swedish growers.
Changing Minds, One Event at a Time
To fight hemp stigma in Sweden, Ebba-Maria led community events, entered competitions, and used every opportunity to educate.
The hemp festival became a platform to showcase hemp’s role in sustainable agriculture and everyday life.
These efforts have helped shift public perception, showing that hemp is more than its reputation – it’s a crop with the power to shape a greener future.
| Milestone | Year/Details |
|---|---|
| First hemp seeds planted | 2007 |
| First hemp maze/festival | 2008 |
| Planting/harvest timing | Spring and autumn |
| Seed sourcing | Originally Sweden; now France, Germany, Poland, Latvia |
Hemp Hits the Menu: Products, Innovation, and Bringing ‘Peeled Seeds’ to Sweden
At Mossa Garden, hemp’s journey from soil to supper is a story of bold innovation and adaptation.
What began as a crop for the construction industry – using sturdy hemp stalks – quickly evolved when founder Ebba-Maria Olsen saw the potential in the seeds that were simply falling to the ground.
Today, Mossa Garden’s hemp products range is at the heart of Sweden’s growing interest in hemp food innovation.
From Stalk to Snack: Expanding the Organic Hemp Products Range
- Hemp Seed Oil: Cold-pressed and packed with nutrition, their oil is a staple for health-conscious consumers.
- Raw Hemp Seeds: Whole, unprocessed seeds for baking, snacking, or adding crunch to meals.
- Peeled Hemp Seeds: Known elsewhere as ‘shelled’ or ‘hemp hearts’, Ebba-Maria introduced the unique term ‘peeled seeds’ to Sweden, making them more approachable for local consumers.
- Hemp-Based Cheeses: From pizza cheese to cream cheese and a hard, sliceable variety, these innovative products have captured attention at major food events.
- Carrot-Hemp Ice Cream: A creative blend of local carrots and hemp, this ice cream showcases the versatility of hemp in Swedish cuisine.
“So we started with the cheese, the hemp cheese, and then we continued with the ice cream… It’s a hemp-carrot ice cream.” – Ebba-Maria Olsen
Navigating Regulation and Driving Hemp Food Innovation
Sweden’s strict regulations around hemp flowers and buds have pushed Mossa Garden to focus on nutritional hemp seed oil and seed-based foods.
his legal context has fueled product creativity, helping normalize hemp as a food rather than a controversial crop.
Ebba-Maria’s efforts have also helped reduce stigma and open new markets for organic hemp products.
Award-Winning Flavors and Digital Roots
Mossa Garden’s hemp pizza cheese was a finalist at Stockholm’s top food innovation competition and wowed over 300,000 visitors at Berlin’s Green Week food fair.
Their farm webshop, mossag.se, has been serving customers since 1999—making it one of Sweden’s oldest, soon to be refreshed for a new era of hemp food innovation.
Tasting Tomorrow: How Tradition and Tenacity Build Hemp’s Future in Sweden
At the heart of Sweden’s hemp revolution, Mossa Garden Sweden stands as a bridge between tradition and innovation.
Ebba-Maria Olsen’s journey is proof that family values and digital savvy can work together to change minds and menus.
By blending hands-on farming wisdom with modern web strategies, Mossa Garden reaches both local supporters and a growing online audience, ensuring hemp’s story is heard far and wide.
The stigma around hemp in Sweden is fading fast, thanks in part to direct engagement and education.
When Swedish agriculture leaders and even ambassadors sample hemp ice cream at international fairs, it sends a powerful message: hemp food innovation is not only accepted but celebrated. As Ebba-Maria shares,
“The government in Sweden also visit us at that fair because they are also organizing it and are paying and putting a lot of energy into it… and I can say hello, we have hemp ice cream here so let’s try it out.”
These moments—where tradition meets curiosity—help shift public perception and open doors for hemp’s future.
Education is key to overcoming the old hemp stigma in Sweden. Mossa Garden’s team is passionate about showing how hemp can move from animal feed to a human superfood.
By highlighting hemp’s valuable protein and sustainable agriculture benefits, they encourage Swedes to rethink what belongs on their plates.
At events like Swedish Green Week, where over 300,000 visitors gather, and as finalists in Stockholm’s food competitions, Mossa Garden’s award-winning products spark conversations and inspire change.
Looking ahead, the vision is clear: as regulations become more supportive, hemp will take its rightful place in Sweden’s mainstream diet.
Ebba-Maria’s advocacy, combined with Mossa Garden’s commitment to quality and innovation, is paving the way for a future where hemp is as common as oats or rye.
By honoring tradition while embracing new platforms and ideas, Mossa Garden Sweden proves that tenacity and openness can transform not just a farm, but an entire food culture.
As Sweden tastes tomorrow, it’s clear that hemp’s future is rooted in both heritage and hope—thanks to the tireless work of pioneers like Ebba-Maria Olsen and the growing community ready to savor what’s next.
TL;DR: From generational family ties to hemp-based pizza cheese, Mossa Garden’s journey shows how a Swedish farm can reinvent itself, overcome stigma, and push organic hemp products from niche to norm.
