The vision behind Farmers Circle and Senatorių Pasažas
To Heal the Food System, We Must Begin with the Soi
“I grew up on a small farm in the north of Denmark,” says Niels Peter Pretzmann. “Small, but big enough to feed our family and a few others. It had no certificate, but it was 100% organic. We just didn’t use the word.”
It was a life in tune with the land. Pigs, cows, horses, and rabbits shared space with beets, carrots, barley, oats, apples, pears, and potatoes. “There was a kitchen garden for our own consumption, and we practiced crop rotation—farming in harmony with nature. No damage done. It was a happy life.”
But the Green Revolution changed everything. “My dad started to expand. Bought a neighbor’s farm. Chemicals and fertilizers arrived, and with them, diversity disappeared. It became monoculture—just barley and pigs. I remember the soil eroding. We used to joke that you never knew where the soil was; maybe it was at the neighbor’s today, and maybe it would come back tomorrow.”
Eventually, the farm went bankrupt. Niels, who had been running a neighboring farm by the same principles, also closed his doors. “It wasn’t funny,” he says quietly. “We made the same mistakes. And I decided to walk away.”
Twenty-five years later, Niels arrived in Lithuania. What began as a hospitality project unexpectedly pulled him back toward his roots. “I noticed organic food wasn’t gaining traction here like it was in Denmark. No one seemed interested—not the chefs, not the consumers. I started wondering: why?”
He recalled his father’s experience—how small farmers became just cogs in a machine, with no influence over quality, sales, or their own future. “I knew I wanted to do it differently. I wanted to create my own supply chain and not be dependent on anyone else.”
Niels traveled back to Denmark for inspiration and found farms doing things differently—farming with integrity andbuilding their own brands. “One big organic farm had 3,500 hectares, 1,000 cows, and its own dairy. Another had a restaurant, butcher, and bakery—very inspiring, even if not organic.” He also noticed something else: “Popular restaurants were getting involved in food production. I thought that was exciting too. It’s important to share your story—let people know your impact if you want to change their mindset.”
That’s when the idea for Farmers Circle was born. “I made a plan—to combine all of that into one circular system. That’s why I called it Farmers Circle. It’s about creating a closed loop. A farm, a kitchen, a consumer—and back again.”
At the heart of Farmers Circle lies a simple guiding framework—a “Bible,” as he puts it, that drives every decision:
Responsible Sustainability
Resilience of Local food systems
Belief that healthy products make great flavours
“This is something our teams and employees ask themselves every day: how well are we following these golden rules?”
With that philosophy, the work began. On the land: nurturing soil microbes, rotating crops, integrating livestock, and restoring biodiversity. In the city: launching Senatorių Pasažas, a restored 17th-century courtyard turned into a sustainable food hub with restaurants, a bakery, a butcher, food stalls, and a natural wine bar.
It hasn’t been easy. “Regenerative farming is still voluntary. It’s driven by a few passionate people who understand its necessity. But there are challenges—bureaucracy, unfair competition, slower growth. That all makes regenerative produce more expensive, and many consumers still hesitate to pay the difference.”
Still, the momentum is growing. Delegations, students, and businesses visit the farm to learn from its practices. In 2024, Farmers Circle was named Lithuania’s best organic farm by Ekoagros and won the Baltic Sustainability Award for regenerative agriculture. Red Brick, the farm’s restaurant, earned a Michelin Green Star. In the city, Nineteen18 received a Michelin Star, and 14Horses was awarded a Bib Gourmand.
“We’ve only just started,” Niels says. “Changing the food system might be one of the biggest transformations our civilization will ever undertake. But I believe it’s possible. And I believe we can inspire others to join us.”
With that, the circle continues—rooted in memory, driven by values, and always grounded in the soil.