In this article series we will highlight the people that bring our From Farm to Fork strategy to life. Meet producer Fredrik Lindeberg.
Dairy and meat producer Fredrik Lindeberg considers producers to be important for the entire food chain. Producers deliver sustainably produced raw materials for the manufacture of sustainable, high-quality food products.
Olof Lars Gård is a farm located near Tvååker in Sweden, a short distance from the centre of the municipality of Varberg in the province of Halland. The dairy and meat farm is owned by two brothers, Fredrik and Mattias Lindeberg, who also grow maize, broad beans, grains and grass. The farm is self-sufficient in terms of feed and grain.
The family bought the farm in 1912, and the two brothers represent the fifth generation.
“I grew up here and got used to working on the farm at a young age. I have been a farmer here since 1985, when I started with 50 dairy cows. My younger brother, Mattias, started working at the farm and became a partner in 2000, after returning from Australia,” says Fredrik.
Since then, the brothers have further developed the farm and expanded its operations systematically. In late 2003, they had 250 dairy cows. By autumn 2009, the number of dairy cows had increased to 500. In addition to investing in cowshed operations, the two brothers have acquired more land by purchasing nearby farms. This was to ensure sufficient nutrition for their growing livestock.
Today, the farm has more than 800 dairy cows, in addition to heifers. The cultivated area is 1 150 hectares, and the farm has around 25 employees. The farm is a true success story and a source of pride for the two brothers.
Open dialogue is important
The farm sells all of its slaughter animals to HKScan. The brothers have been co-operating with HKScan for around 30 years, with excellent results.
“Our interaction with HKScan has always been open and easy,” says Fredrik.
When purchasing calves from HKScan’s chain, the Lindebergs have made use of the company’s short-term financing services.
“We wanted to grow rapidly, and partners with the ability to make quick decisions have been important for us. Things have worked well with HKScan.”
Environmentally sound operations
The farm takes the environment into account in all of its operations.
“In my opinion, the environment and good financial and operational management go hand in hand. Things that are good for the environment are also financially beneficial. A tidy, well-organised farm is an efficient farm,” says Lindeberg.
The farm has adopted energy-saving solutions, such as recovering heat from the cooling of milk, as well as timers and motion detectors for lighting. Fuel consumption has been reduced by acquiring fuel-efficient tractors. In addition, all transport is optimised, and all waste is recycled. “We are currently exploring opportunities to use solar energy.”
Animal welfare is very important. The farm has modern cowsheds that offer good living conditions for dairy cows and heifers. The animals are monitored at all times.
“We believe that a farm should always be ready for visitors. We welcome all visitors – business, pleasure and research.”
In plant cultivation, the two brothers make use of a new technology to control nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisation and reduce the risk of excessive fertilisation. This ensures that only the absolutely necessary amount of plant protection products are used. Thanks to the latest technology, the accuracy of fertilisation is excellent, and the risk of overlaps is small. Sludge is pumped into satellite wells to reduce tractor transport and fuel consumption.
Strong confidence in the future
“My work has always been fun and inspiring. It’s rewarding and exciting to continuously develop and expand operations and create favourable conditions for future success. There are challenges, of course, which we must overcome one way or another. But that makes our work even more interesting,” says Fredrik.
The global demand for food products keeps growing steadily, which is why the two brothers are confident about the future.
“In my opinion, producers play an important role in the entire food product chain. High quality and sustainability begin here at the farm. We are responsible for delivering sustainable raw materials that have been produced with a focus on the environment, animal welfare, a good working environment and economy. This makes it possible to manufacture sustainable food products – products that customers and consumers appreciate and that contribute to their well-being.”
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