Description

Practice abstract

Hagshults retirement home for cows lies in the middle of Southern Sweden. The farm receives and finishes culled cows from a dairy farm nearby. The farm has 50 ha semi-natural grasslands and 50 ha ley and the cows are fed on grass only. Carl-Johan Bertilsson is responsible for the farm operations and runs the farm together with Ulrika Björnhag, who is a behavioural scientist and responsible for marketing and sales. 

The cow pension concept is a way of getting a quality product out of a poorly utilized raw material. This in a sustainable way, combined with animal welfare and with a mission to spread knowledge about good food and how it is produced. The meat’s high quality is due to the cows’ grass diet and dry-age of carcasses. Carl-Johan and Ulrika also refine the by-products. The fat is refined into ”chef’s tallow” and ”golden tallow”. The bones are charred to barbecue charcoal, a product that adds flavour on the grill. 

The meat is sold directly in the farm shop or to restaurants and whole-salers. Explaining the farm’s offer is an important sales task, both to end consumers and to restaurants. The farm is active on social media such as Instagram and Facebook. Several of the expressions that the farm uses are patented. The many aspects of sustainable production such as climate certification and fossil free fuel, are used in marketing. Contacts and public relations are valued. Big efforts are made in making contacts through the farm shop, visits, farmers’ markets and trade fairs. The farm also presents itself as a showcase for the agricultural cooperative Lantmännen and Carl-Johan and Ulrika take part in podcasts and conferences. The farm evolves constantly. Collaborations and new channels are always being sought. Lately, the farm released a tune on Spotify. A desired development would be a self-service farm shop. 

Context profil