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LVM Vijciems Cone Drying Facility has Started Drying Cones

At the historic LVM Vijciems Cone Drying Facility, which last year celebrated its 125th anniversary, the new year has begun quite intensively: a fire is burning in the oven and cones are drying in the almost 100-year-old equipment.

“This year will be productive – pines have such big cones as compared to previous years. Moreover, the year has started with a white snow cover in the field, which just encourages you to take a snowy walk around the cone drying facility and enjoy a day in the fresh air,” invites Ivars Palejs.

Cone drying is a time–consuming and exciting process that starts with cones being delivered to the third floor of the facility. They are then measured with a special, almost 100–year–old machine and poured into rolls made of metal bars. For an entire week, the heavy rolls are rotated 4–8 times a day; the drying temperature is checked on a regular basis to ensure that it does not exceed 48 degrees. The seeds are then cleaned of any cone impurities, moistened and scrubbed vigorously to remove winged seeds. Afterwards, they are dried once again until we obtain perfectly pure and fine seeds.

In 2002, Vijciems Cone Drying Facility was included in the list of European Cultural Heritage, but in 2008 it acquired the status of an Unusual European Cultural Heritage, three years ago – Industrial Heritage for Tourism. Since 2019, the cone drying facility has been included in the list of State Protected Cultural Monuments, but in 2020 it acquired the status of an industrial monument of national significance.

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The Historical Vijciems Cone Drying Facility

JSC “Latvia’s State Forests” (LVM) forest tree seed plantations are now busy with harvesting – cone harvesting. It is planned to harvest about 900 hectolitres of pine cones and about 190 hectolitres of spruce cones. After harvesting, the cones end up in one of the LVM Sēklas un stādi cone drying facilities either in Renda, Kalsnava or Vijciems.