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MENHAMMAR TEXT SOFIA LUNDGREN PHOTO MARTIN STENMA
RK GREENER PASTURES at Menhammar Turning woodland into pasture is a 5-10 year procedure. The process in this land began in 2018. When Menhammar farm expands its pastures, it’s not about reclaiming woodland, but more about restoring what was once there – while also allowing for more sustainable meat production. W 22 OUR WAY 2/2022 hen visiting or while driving by Menhammar farm, you’re always likely to see cows or sheep grazing peacefully. But it´s not just a bucolic sight; it’s part of a restoration process that has been ongoing for many years. “It all started about five years ago, when we, after attacks by pests in the forest, decided to recreate a natural pasture. We wanted to keep a variety of trees and create a pasture with higher natural values and a larger biodiversity. Or restore it actually – a long time ago, this land was used for grazing,” says Ulf Segerström, Agricultural Operations Manager at Menhammar farm. Ulf Segerström Agricultural Operations Manager, Menhammar Ulf Segerström and Markus Nilsson, Professional Gamekeeper, can easily describe a desirable pasture. It should be varied, containing trees, shrubs, herbs and flowers, since they offer a form of environmental enrichment and a variety in the food supply. If the pasture is hilly and contains groves of trees and bushes, that’s also a good thing since it offers protection from bad weather, such as strong wind and rain. “Regular farmland used for pasture easily gets trampled to pieces by the animals, especially when it rains. And since most animal activity is usually concentrated at the feeding fence and watering place, the ground there is often the most damaged and causes fertiliser and nutriments to leak into the fields,” Ulf says.