Organic farming for richer birdlife

The yellowhammer, like many other species in agricultural landscapes, is completely dependent on insects to raise its young.

There are many birds that live and seek food on farms where food for both birds and humans is grown. How the farms are managed and cultivated is crucial for bird life. In the summer, for example, many chicks starve to death because their parents simply can't gather food quickly enough. The availability of insects is absolutely crucial. Therefore, we have an important task to provide birds with food that is grown in a fair way - organically.

Slåttergubben sees the connections that make organic farming more advantageous than conventional farming. Feel free to read more about Janne's thoughts by choosing a title above.

Conventionally grown wheat field

Why is organic so important?

This picture is from an autumn-sown wheat field in May 2010. Well-sprayed (not many wild field plants), well-fertilized (the dark green color indicates a high availability of nitrogen, as does the dense vegetation and thick leaves). The crop will soon become very dense, and at ground level it will continuously be damp, cramped, and dark. The ears of grain will stand close together when ripe and will be more susceptible to fungal/mold attacks.

The conditions for birds on an organic farm are actually a bit better. There are guaranteed no pesticides spreading to the surroundings either. The more organic products that are bought, the more farms can join in. We get the birds as a bonus.

Biodynamic field – note the sparse placement of crops!

The second picture here is from the other side of the ditch a few minutes later! Biodynamically grown spelt wheat, also sown in the autumn. Note the light green color and the much sparser crop. Not as well fertilized. Can you see the other wild field plants emerging here and there? They are not so tall yet. A pair of curlews established themselves on this farm a couple of years ago. They almost notoriously stay within the farm's boundaries when foraging, as if there were an invisible fence around! When you see these pictures, it’s not as hard to understand why; it's crystal clear where the best place to go is if you want to quickly find insects. There will be an even bigger difference in a couple of months when the crops have grown taller.

Our company and our products are organically certified according to all the rules of the art. All Swedish-grown products are KRAV-labeled, and all imported products are labeled as EU-organic with the EU flower. The exception is the sunflower seeds, which also bear the KRAV label.