Strawberry grower and new owner of the “Urdzēni” farm, 25-year-old Toms Kočāns, is the youngest grower of these berries in Aloja – a town often referred to as the strawberry capital of Vidzeme. Strawberry cultivation is a continuation of both Toms' family legacy and the traditions of Aloja.

“We had gone to the Valmiera market with 30 kilograms to spare. We arrive, we are just about to pay for our market stall, and people are already coming up and asking; within 20–30 minutes, those 30 kilograms were gone, and we were heading home. That was a bit of a record. The demand for Latvian strawberries exists and will only grow further; people are choosing local produce, focusing more on quality rather than Polish or Greek berries,” said Toms.