Skip to main content
SLU publication database (SLUpub)

Abstract

Grassland production is at the core of farming on Skogsgård farm in south-west Sweden. This organically certified 400 ha farm has been run by Anna and Anders Carlsson since 1995. Half the land is owned, half is rented. Rotational grazing is applied at least six months a year for the farm’s cattle. The main feed during winter is silage from grass and whole crop cereals. The farm’s 220 Holstein and Fleckvieh dairy cows have access to temporary grasslands close to the barn via paved pathways. Young stock graze more distant semi-natural grasslands, including three nature reserves. Two-year silage leys are included in the crop rotation and all crops are used on-farm as animal feed. Actions taken to increase resilience on Skogsgård include building irrigation ponds, changing to animal breeds more suited to grazing and forage-based rations, purchasing machinery to optimise harvesting and, most importantly, adapting grazing management for the cattle. Knowledge capital on the farm has been extended via different networks in Sweden and abroad, not least EGF meetings. Future plans include investments in milking robots and a cubicle house and, hopefully, a generation shift. Grasslands will increase in importance in future, e.g. for carbon sequestration.

Keywords

carbon sequestration; crop rotation; grazing management; knowledge and innovation systems; multi-species swards; resilience

Published in

Grassland Science in Europe
2024, number: 29, pages: 862-870
Title: Why grasslands? : Proceedings of the 30th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation Leeuwarden, the Netherlands 9-13 June 2024
Publisher: The Organising Committee of the 30th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation

Conference

30th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation Leeuwarden, the Netherlands 9-13 June 2024

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science
Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

  • eISBN: 978-90-903-8494-8

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/143625