written by Joanna Leach
October 12th, 2023
While a space like Grønt Marked is – and should be – varied in terms of produce, perspectives and concepts, there’s one available reality that unites our producers and consumers. This is the understanding that the ways we’ve been collectively exploiting our natural resources for global food production need to be dismantled, and in their place, a new relationship rebuilt with the natural world. With this in mind, many newer small-scale farms are (re)turning to regenerative agricultural practices, helping farmland to thrive through a number of different techniques. Their aim is to counter the more destructive methods employed by conventional farming, and ultimately rehabilitate the natural resources under their care.
Holistic grazing: a return to symbiotic ecosystems
Søagergård, a family-owned farmland plot covering just under 10 hectares in Smørum, represents one such project with one such technique. After uprooting from a busy London-based life, Andy and Marianne took over the running of the farm from Marianne’s parents in 2020, along with an area of ploughed land which they now devote their time to regenerating. They do this following the principle of ‘holistic grazing,’ with the help of 350 chickens, 2 Jersey cows (and their calves), 3 sows, 1 boar, and over 10,000 bees. In their own words, Andy and Marianne describe holistic grazing as “inspired by natural migrations of animals”. As Andy elaborates, “By working with animals in a similar way to nature, we bring back the symbiotic cycle that has been broken for hundreds, if not thousands of years in Europe. Animals disturb and fertilise the soil, before swiftly moving on to fresh, lush areas – just like they did in the wild.”
In practice, this process involves charting how long areas of plant growth are exposed to animal grazing, after which the disturbed ground is nourished with manure and reinvigorated by being allowed to rest. Time allocated for plant recovery and regrowth is determined by Andy and Marianne based on temperatures and rainfall. As a result of this kind of regenerative technique, the biodiversity and natural energy already present within the soil’s ecosystem is able to flourish,improving water retention, sequestering CO 2 , and promoting healthy, sustainable growth.
Working with the natural synergy of the land
As one of the few meat producers at Grønt Marked, the way Søagergård work with their animals towards their goal of recovering the land is a key talking point at their stall on Sundays. For Andy & Marianne, instead of traditional tilling and fertilisation techniques, it’s the instinctual behaviour of the animals that treats, fertilises, and propagates the soil. For their part, Søagergård’s two Jersey cows aerate the soil under their hooves as they munch on the tall grasses, led daily by Andy to new green areas. The farm’s hens are then introduced to the same area, fertilising the ground by picking and scratching to find worms and insects, and spreading the cow manure through the topsoil. it’s a method that reflects the natural order of things, where flora and fauna “exist alongside one another” and are left to influence the surroundings with as little intervention as possible. The baseline principle for Andy is that no repair of our environment can be done without restoring the natural rhythms and partnerships that evolved symbiotically in nature: “To thrive, we need animals as much as they need us. We give nature the conditions and opportunity to flourish.”
As a small-scale, low-impact regenerative farm, there’s an inevitable synergy then between Søagergård’s produce; primarily eggs, pork, milk, and honey. As Marianne explains, “The bees make nectar from the clover flower, and the clover fields provide nutrition for the cows… and with the cows eating the taller grasses and the chickens scratching the ground eating insects, they all have different effects in terms of how they ruminate”. As Andy adds, this variation is important not only for an efficient and circular approach to producing, but also for the health of the livestock itself:
“In typical agricultural practices, one type of animal is kept in one location for extended periods. This poisons the soil with too much manure and kills off diversity, allowing pathogens to build up. Plant monocropping (hectares of ploughing and homogenous machine-planted crops) is no better –releasing tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere from ploughing, and removing all biodiversity from the environment through homogeneity and indiscriminate spraying to keep crops alive.”
Beyond an organic approach to animal welfare
The overall health and wellbeing of their cows, chickens and pigs pre-slaughter is a critical component of Søagergård’s ethos as a producer. This has included a considered effort to move beyond organic certification guidelines, believing them to more often represent “desktop audits” and “surrogate values” than real attention to animal wellbeing. For Andy, rather than a means to stay critical about animal welfare standards, the certification process has become “one of those things the industry had taken over, in a way that co-opts it and lowers standards, but increases prices. It has become a marketing machine, where simply saying something is ‘organic’ shuts down the conversation”. One example they use is the length of time a calf spends with its mother after birth. Organic certification states a calf can be separated after 24 hours. Andy & Marianne are strongly against this, refusing early separation between mother and calf, and choosing instead to keep them together for 16-18 months. The effect of this on milk production and the milking process then actively takes into account the calf’s needs, so the farm in effect “shares” the milk with the calf, rather than the milk being consumed/sold by the farm exclusively.
Within the wider discussion around meat consumption and the meat and dairy industry, Andy & Marianne push back against both industry-wide maltreatment of animals and wasteful approaches to meat production and supply. High quality of life pre-slaughter and finding innovative ways to make use of the whole carcass post-slaughter is a priority, which includes having to explain in writing each time to the local slaughterhouse that they want nothing thrown away: “Every time we send to slaughter, I will write a list of everything I want back from the animal”, says Marianne, “If I just say “everything”, they don’t believe it, so I have to specify”. Applying a nose-to-tail approach is something that Søagergård readily experiment with, an example of which you can find in the lard skin balms currently available at their stall. “We try to use everything within our means and resources” says Andy.
Future implications for animal protein diets
While forming natural and meaningful bonds with the animals they raise, Andy & Marianne are sure-
footed in their role as meat producers: “Our future is tied with animal protein. Every animal we honour, but we understand they have a role to play, just as we do.” This future is something they not only envision for themselves as producers, but one they argue is fundamentally tied to biodiversity of food and ecosystems of the future: “We cannot undo what has been done in the last 40 years without them [animals] – we cannot recover and regenerate the soil without anima manure, and the effect of animals eating the grass and helping it grow stronger.”
Resisting the widely-accepted narrative of removing animal protein from our diets and turning towards more plant-based alternatives, Andy & Marianne instead believe the main source of the problem to be the “dominant monoculture” of conventional farming. Between pathogen-incubating single-species farms, CO 2 -heavy industrial practices, sub-standard animal welfare standards and multi-layer systems of distribution, there are many aspects of the modern meat industry that they argue need to be addressed, without the removal of meat consumption altogether. This is provided that people are willing to connect with the reality of that consumption – and are prepared to pay a price point that reflects everything this process involves, including time, labour, consideration and care.
Grønt Marked and the conscious consumer
It’s here that Andy & Marianne feel organisations like Grønt Marked come into play. Creating a space for diverse and ethically-sourced produce has attracted a demographic of consumers that are prioritising conscious choice when it comes to food, and prioritising where they put their money.
“We’re focussing on the people who care about this stuff – where their food comes from and how it’s reared. We’re not looking to the lowest common denominator, the lowest price point. The people who buy our produce are prepared to pay for it. It’s about priorities. Sure, it’s expensive if you’re prioritising putting your money elsewhere, but there are plenty of people prepared to pay and even travel a reasonable distance – to source the food they want to eat”
Dialogue between producer and consumer and sharing a mutual awareness of our food systems is something noticeably present when you visit Søagergård’s stall on Sundays. It’s not uncommon to find people seeking to learn and discuss, specifically when it comes to the meat and animal proteins they consume. This direct interaction has also allowed room to learn about new innovative or alternative products that may otherwise be considered too ‘unconventional’ for traditional food outlets (check out Søagergård’s raw milk for example, and their skin balms mentioned earlier).
What’s next for Søagergård
In terms of future projects and produce, Andy & Marianne are continuing to find new ways to use
their current infrastructure (their polytunnel is now a temporary home to young tomatoes soaking
up the warm weather), for now avoiding expansion in order to retain the integrity of the land. But
that’s not to say they’re not looking to expand in the entrepreneurial sense, and are actively looking
to share ideas and expertise with the wider community:
“If we get the people and the expertise, we want to expand the shop, perhaps start a charcuterie
line… we’re interested in potentially supporting new business lines. If you’re entrepreneurial, come
start a market garden or something like that… we have the land, we just don’t have the time!”
For more about Søagergårds produce and practices, visit:
www.soeagergaard.com
https://www.instagram.com/soeagergaard
https://www.facebook.com/soeagergaard
GRØNT MARKED
Producer Portrait:
Søagergård Regenerativt Jordbrug
written by Grønt Marked
October 12th, 2023
While a space like Grønt Marked is – and should be – varied in terms of produce, perspectives and concepts, there’s one available reality that unites our producers and consumers. This is the understanding that the ways we’ve been collectively exploiting our natural resources for global food production need to be dismantled, and in their place, a new relationship rebuilt with the natural world. With this in mind, many newer small-scale farms are (re)turning to regenerative agricultural practices, helping farmland to thrive through a number of different techniques. Their aim is to counter the more destructive methods employed by conventional farming, and ultimately rehabilitate the natural resources under their care.
Holistic grazing: a return to symbiotic ecosystems
Søagergård, a family-owned farmland plot covering just under 10 hectares in Smørum, represents one such project with one such technique. After uprooting from a busy London-based life, Andy and Marianne took over the running of the farm from Marianne’s parents in 2020, along with an area of ploughed land which they now devote their time to regenerating. They do this following the principle of ‘holistic grazing,’ with the help of 350 chickens, 2 Jersey cows (and their calves), 3 sows, 1 boar, and over 10,000 bees. In their own words, Andy and Marianne describe holistic grazing as “inspired by natural migrations of animals”. As Andy elaborates, “By working with animals in a similar way to nature, we bring back the symbiotic cycle that has been broken for hundreds, if not thousands of years in Europe. Animals disturb and fertilise the soil, before swiftly moving on to fresh, lush areas – just like they did in the wild.”
In practice, this process involves charting how long areas of plant growth are exposed to animal grazing, after which the disturbed ground is nourished with manure and reinvigorated by being allowed to rest. Time allocated for plant recovery and regrowth is determined by Andy and Marianne based on temperatures and rainfall. As a result of this kind of regenerative technique, the biodiversity and natural energy already present within the soil’s ecosystem is able to flourish,improving water retention, sequestering CO 2 , and promoting healthy, sustainable growth.
Working with the natural synergy of the land
As one of the few meat producers at Grønt Marked, the way Søagergård work with their animals towards their goal of recovering the land is a key talking point at their stall on Sundays. For Andy & Marianne, instead of traditional tilling and fertilisation techniques, it’s the instinctual behaviour of the animals that treats, fertilises, and propagates the soil. For their part, Søagergård’s two Jersey cows aerate the soil under their hooves as they munch on the tall grasses, led daily by Andy to new green areas. The farm’s hens are then introduced to the same area, fertilising the ground by picking and scratching to find worms and insects, and spreading the cow manure through the topsoil. it’s a method that reflects the natural order of things, where flora and fauna “exist alongside one another” and are left to influence the surroundings with as little intervention as possible. The baseline principle for Andy is that no repair of our environment can be done without restoring the natural rhythms and partnerships that evolved symbiotically in nature: “To thrive, we need animals as much as they need us. We give nature the conditions and opportunity to flourish.”
As a small-scale, low-impact regenerative farm, there’s an inevitable synergy then between Søagergård’s produce; primarily eggs, pork, milk, and honey. As Marianne explains, “The bees make nectar from the clover flower, and the clover fields provide nutrition for the cows… and with the cows eating the taller grasses and the chickens scratching the ground eating insects, they all have different effects in terms of how they ruminate”. As Andy adds, this variation is important not only for an efficient and circular approach to producing, but also for the health of the livestock itself:
“In typical agricultural practices, one type of animal is kept in one location for extended periods. This poisons the soil with too much manure and kills off diversity, allowing pathogens to build up. Plant monocropping (hectares of ploughing and homogenous machine-planted crops) is no better –releasing tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere from ploughing, and removing all biodiversity from the environment through homogeneity and indiscriminate spraying to keep crops alive.”
Beyond an organic approach to animal welfare
The overall health and wellbeing of their cows, chickens and pigs pre-slaughter is a critical component of Søagergård’s ethos as a producer. This has included a considered effort to move beyond organic certification guidelines, believing them to more often represent “desktop audits” and “surrogate values” than real attention to animal wellbeing.
For Andy, rather than a means to stay critical about animal welfare standards, the certification process has become “one of those things the industry had taken over, in a way that co-opts it and lowers standards, but increases prices. It has become a marketing machine, where simply saying something is ‘organic’ shuts down the conversation”. One example they use is the length of time a calf spends with its mother after birth.
Organic certification states a calf can be separated after 24 hours. Andy & Marianne are strongly against this, refusing early separation between mother and calf, and choosing instead to keep them together for 16-18 months. The effect of this on milk production and the milking process then actively takes into account the calf’s needs, so the farm in effect “shares” the milk with the calf, rather than the milk being consumed/sold by the farm exclusively.
Within the wider discussion around meat consumption and the meat and dairy industry, Andy & Marianne push back against both industry-wide maltreatment of animals and wasteful approaches to meat production and supply.
High quality of life pre-slaughter and finding innovative ways to make use of the whole carcass post-slaughter is a priority, which includes having to explain in writing each time to the local slaughterhouse that they want nothing thrown away: “Every time we send to slaughter, I will write a list of everything I want back from the animal”, says Marianne, “If I just say “everything”, they don’t believe it, so I have to specify”.
Applying a nose-to-tail approach is something that Søagergård readily experiment with, an example of which you can find in the lard skin balms currently available at their stall. “We try to use everything within our means and resources” says Andy.
Future implications for animal protein diets
While forming natural and meaningful bonds with the animals they raise, Andy & Marianne are sure-
footed in their role as meat producers: “Our future is tied with animal protein. Every animal we honour, but we understand they have a role to play, just as we do.” This future is something they not only envision for themselves as producers, but one they argue is fundamentally tied to biodiversity of food and ecosystems of the future: “We cannot undo what has been done in the last 40 years without them [animals] – we cannot recover and regenerate the soil without anima manure, and the effect of animals eating the grass and helping it grow stronger.”
Resisting the widely-accepted narrative of removing animal protein from our diets and turning towards more plant-based alternatives, Andy & Marianne instead believe the main source of the problem to be the “dominant monoculture” of conventional farming. Between pathogen-incubating single-species farms, CO 2 -heavy industrial practices, sub-standard animal welfare standards and multi-layer systems of distribution, there are many aspects of the modern meat industry that they argue need to be addressed, without the removal of meat consumption altogether. This is provided that people are willing to connect with the reality of that consumption – and are prepared to pay a price point that reflects everything this process involves, including time, labour, consideration and care.
Grønt Marked and the conscious consumer
It’s here that Andy & Marianne feel organisations like Grønt Marked come into play. Creating a space for diverse and ethically-sourced produce has attracted a demographic of consumers that are prioritising conscious choice when it comes to food, and prioritising where they put their money.
“We’re focussing on the people who care about this stuff – where their food comes from and how it’s reared. We’re not looking to the lowest common denominator, the lowest price point. The people who buy our produce are prepared to pay for it. It’s about priorities. Sure, it’s expensive if you’re prioritising putting your money elsewhere, but there are plenty of people prepared to pay and even travel a reasonable distance – to source the food they want to eat”
Dialogue between producer and consumer and sharing a mutual awareness of our food systems is something noticeably present when you visit Søagergård’s stall on Sundays. It’s not uncommon to find people seeking to learn and discuss, specifically when it comes to the meat and animal proteins they consume. This direct interaction has also allowed room to learn about new innovative or alternative products that may otherwise be considered too ‘unconventional’ for traditional food outlets (check out Søagergård’s raw milk for example, and their skin balms mentioned earlier).
What’s next for Søagergård
In terms of future projects and produce, Andy & Marianne are continuing to find new ways to use
their current infrastructure (their polytunnel is now a temporary home to young tomatoes soaking
up the warm weather), for now avoiding expansion in order to retain the integrity of the land. But
that’s not to say they’re not looking to expand in the entrepreneurial sense, and are actively looking
to share ideas and expertise with the wider community:
“If we get the people and the expertise, we want to expand the shop, perhaps start a charcuterie
line… we’re interested in potentially supporting new business lines. If you’re entrepreneurial, come
start a market garden or something like that… we have the land, we just don’t have the time!”
For more about Søagergårds produce and practices, visit:
https://www.søagergård.dk
https://www.instagram.com/soeagergaard
https://www.facebook.com/soeagergaard