At the dairy farm in Nordannälden, just outside Krokom in Jämtland, in northern Sweden, bedding in the cubicles is a natural part of the daily routine. Every day, several bales are used to keep the beds dry and clean.
“The role of the bedding is actually quite simple. It should keep things dry and clean. Absorbency is absolutely the most important thing,” says Christian Jonsson.
On the farm, agricultural bedding from Norra Timber is used. The finely shredded wood shavings is spread in the cubicles every day and helps keep moisture away from the mattresses where the cows rest.
“It’s very well crushed and maintains a good structure. This makes it easy and convenient to spread.”
With around 150 milking cows, a lot of material is needed. At Nordannälden, about four to five bales of bedding are used daily for the cows.
“We bed the cubicles every day, and the working environment in the barn is also an important aspect. It should ideally be as dust-free as possible. This is important for the respiratory system – both for us who work here and for the animals.”
Christian also emphasizes the raw material behind the product.
“It’s clean material from fresh timber, without glue or recycled wood. It feels safe when it’s something the animals lie on every day.”
During periods when wood shavings have been hard to obtain, the farm has tried other alternatives, including peat. But that was not a long-term solution.
“Peat can freeze and become harder to work with. For us, agricultural bedding works better.”
Growing step by step
The farm’s development has been gradual since Christian took over the business in 2009, at only 21 years old.
“I think I’ve probably been a bit obsessed with cows my whole life. There was really never any doubt that I wanted to work with this.”
The farm had been in the family for generations. When his uncle, who ran the farm, didn’t have children, it was Christian who took over after his grandfather and uncle.
Since then, the operation has expanded in several stages.
“We’ve built a little at a time. I usually say there’s a new roof every year. It’s been a way to grow at the pace the farm can handle,” says Christian.
Today, there are three milking robots in the barn, and in addition to Christian, his partner Hanna Sundin and two employees work on the farm.
The robots mean that the work looks different from traditional milking operations.
“It’s around-the-clock duty because the robots are running all the time, but you’re not as tied to fixed milkingtimes.”
Resource-efficient production
The focus on efficient production and good animal health has also received attention. Nordannälden has been named one of Sweden’s most climate-smart dairy farms in a climate assessment that considers factors such as production efficiency, animal health, and resource use. On the farm, they continuously work to improve production and resource efficiency, while keeping animal welfare at the center.
“That was, of course, nice. But really, it’s mostly about doing many things a little better all the time. For us, it’s also positive that the raw material for Norra Timber’s bedding products comes from environmentally certified forestry,” says Christian.
Today, Christian and his partner Hanna, along with their two young children, live on the farm. Hanna is also involved in initiatives that promote women in agriculture and works to strengthen women in an industry that is still male-dominated.
For Christian, the future is now just as much about developing the farm as managing it.
“Now it’s mostly about fine-tuning the system and making everything work even better.”