First with the 1939 harvest of grain gathered on the island of Valaam in Karelia. All the grain goes to feed farm poultry farm of the monastery, said on Tuesday the economy of the monastery, the monk Ephrem (Mukhin).

"This fall at the monastery assembled first in the last 77 years, the barley crop, which amounted to about 30 quintals per hectare, which is considered a good indicator for the North-West region of Russia. All the grain goes to feed farm of the monastery, will reduce the purchase of fodder and most importantly - to reduce the cost of production of the farm, which produces three varieties of cheese: monastico (solid), caciotta (semi-solid), ricotta (soft). Cheese is sold in the store on the island of Valaam and the daily supply is enough for an hour or two of trading, all sold out", he said.

Agronomist monastery Nikolai Anokhin noted that the grain harvest had threatened the moose.

"One of the threats to the conservation of the harvest was elk, which the young barley hit the spot. As soon as planting gained momentum, the elks had to drive from the fields. Raids of the island "natives" - is further evidence that arable farming returned to Balaam," said the agronomist.

In a press-service of the monastery explained that since 1939 arable land overgrown with weeds and underbrush. Fifteen years ago on Valaam has been a revival of monastic farming began to be carried out methodical work on reclamation. Specialists found in the near Finland where similar conditions and produced in lightweight equipment, suitable for the boggy fields of the island.

To date, managed to recover about 80 hectares (19 hectares this year was planted with barley, you need to put another 60-80 hectares. Fields, which initially has very many stones, prepared for agriculture for two years with the use of technology at the expense of the benefactors and members of Council for the revival of the monastery.

"Earlier on the island, sowed oats, barley and rye. While planned to work out a stable planting of barley and to stop buying fodder from the mainland", noted in the monastery.

On Valaam every year growing potatoes, beets, carrots, apples, and various perennial grasses. On the island tried to grow cabbage, but it does not work because the local birds that eat up the shoots on the vine. Help to farm volunteers, who come on a reserved island. The entire harvest is given to the Valaam monastery.