Ten households in Malmö took part in Hemodlarna, a 2026 pilot run by Botildenborg on behalf of the city to see how many vegetables they could grow in their own gardens. All ten increased their growing and became self-sufficient in at least one vegetable. The results feed into the city’s work on what support residents need to grow more food in Malmö.

How the pilot worked

Hemodlarna Malmö started on 20 January as an effort to get house owners to grow food in their gardens. Botildenborg, which develops sustainable innovations around food and growing, was commissioned to develop and lead it. More than 150 families signed up when participants were sought, and ten were selected. The families came from across Malmö, with widely differing experience and very different gardens. During the season they received training and coaching, and met both at Botildenborg’s growing plots and in each other’s homes. Growing educator Anja Ley at Botildenborg led the meetings.

Results

  • Ten participating families, chosen from more than 150 applicants
  • All increased their growing and gained knowledge
  • All became self-sufficient in at least one vegetable
  • All want to keep growing next season

One participant, Ena Cupina Holt, said her family had harvested every week since June.

Why the city is doing it

Hemodlarna is part of the initiative “Framtidens matstad Malmö”, which examines what support residents may need to want to and be able to grow more food in the city. According to the city, more urban growing builds knowledge of where food comes from and its value. It also increases a city’s resilience and its capacity to produce and handle available food, which is part of local food preparedness. The city created the assignment to understand residents’ conditions for growing food in their gardens and what role the city can play.

What happens next

Malmö is now looking for ways to make use of residents’ strong interest and the pilot’s positive results. Emma Rydström, a business developer at the city, asked how Hemodlarna’s experience could be used to reach more households and what effects it could have at system level. The pilot builds on earlier work, including a strategy for urban growing on public land adopted by the technical committee, and the Malmö Garden Show on 29-31 May, which aimed to get more residents growing.