NPO Eesti Rukki Selts (Estonian Rye Association) unites active people, individuals and organizations, working voluntarily with the aim to encourage production and consumption of domestic rye and keep the rye-related traditions. The association was established on 24 March 2000.
To distribute information on rye and encourage people to consume healthy rye bread the association issues printed materials and organizes different events. An intensive co-operation between the rye researchers, breeders and producers of rye products takes place, both in Estonia and in abroad.
Places, related to rye in Estonia, have been united to a so called rye route (www.epm.ee/rukkitee). This is one branch of the Estonian culinary route (www.toidutee.ee). A further goal of the Association is to cover all the Baltic Sea countries, where the traditions of rye are alive, with the similar networks.
The Rye route brings us from Sangaste (www.sangasteloss.com/loss,www.sangasterukkikyla.eu), related to the famous Rye Earl von Berg, to Tartu where the Estonian University of Life Sciences (www.emu.ee), and the Estonian Agricultural Museum (www.epm.ee) are located. The route of course goes through Olustvere due to its agrarian vocational school (www.olustvere.edu.ee) and Jõgeva with its well-known Estonian Plant Breeding Institute (www.etki.ee). It is followed by the kingdom of the Estonian Rye King Hans the First near Väike-Maarja and the distillery and vodka-museum in Moe.
The aim of the international co-operation of the rye association is to encourage rye usage, winter rye cultivation and to keep historical and cultural heritage. The Estonian Rye Association strives to develop co-operation with similar institutions-associations in the neighbouring countries where the traditions, related to rye are also kept.
See: www.proruis.fi ,
www.rogg-in.de/informationszentrum/ueber-das-zentrum
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The book "Rõõm rukkist" (Joy from Rye), issued in November 2014, gives a varied overview about the story of rye in Estonia and about the activities, objectives and partners of the Estonian Rye Association. The authors of the book are journalists Ester Shank and Valve Raudnask, who are active members of the association. A DVD with chronicle films "Blessing of Rye" by Mati Narusk is added to the book. |