Alestalo farm

Since 1709

Alestalo farm called Alitalo in Sarva

Sarva´s farm Alitalo has been in the family since 1709. This old family farm is located in Hollola, in magnificent scenery at Lake Vesijärvi, about twenty kilometers from Lahti.

The first host of the farm was Matti Mikonpoika in 1709-1739 with his spouse Maija. The name of the family became established as Alestalo in the 1880s. Eino Alestalo was the ninth and longest host of the farm (1965-2015). After Eino, the holding’s ownership went to the descendants of Edvard Alestalo: Kalevi and his sons Aleksi and Antti.

Alestalo and Ylitalo

The current families – Alestalo and Ylitalo – have been managing farm in Sarva  since 1709. At that time Matti Mikonpoika was the host. His wife was Maija. According to the church records there were at least four children: Simo, Matti, Adam and Esko.

After four generations in the 1820s, Sarva was divided into two farms, later named Ylitalo and Alitalo. Antti Kustaa  Antinpoika first started using the Alestalo name at the end of the 19th century.

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Village of Sarva

The village of Sarva in Hollola. On the east side were the Paimela manor houses. In the northern boundaries there was the military farm of Tuomaala in the village of Vaania. The western side is part of Lake Vesijärvi. Sarva is first mentioned in the 1559 tax list (of Kingdom of Sweden).

Sarva was an acoustical state, that is, an auxiliary house that paid its taxes to a horse farm to maintain a rider at war. In 1587 Sarva’s lands were taken to the crown, or the state, and in the late seventeenth century Sarva was deserted.

The farm today

Liisa Alestalo embraces the main building of the farm and its yard area, and tells about the history of the farm on the basis of her own experience and through her studies in history at University of Helsinki.

Location

This old family farm is located in Hollola, in magnificent scenery at Lake Vesijärvi, about twenty kilometers from city of Lahti.

If you have any comments or questions regarding the web site or the farm, please drop email to aleksi@alestalo.com