"For us, the forest is both work and interest"
There's a lot of talk about the forest at the home of Daniel Olsson and Anna-Ida Olsson Bylund. Both have forestry-related jobs and spend a large part of their free time planning and managing their own forest.
Daniel and Anna-Ida live with their children Alfred, 15, Gottfrid, 13, and Hugo, 4, on a shared forest farm in southern Sweden. The farm was acquired through a gift purchase from Daniel's parents in 2010.
"It felt natural for both of us," says Daniel. "We have a great interest in nature, and I have always enjoyed practical work. Growing up, I helped a lot in the forest and also had great freedom to try out my own approach."
Daniel is a bricklayer by trade but has been running his own forestry business for three years, including assignments for Södra. Anna-Ida is employed as a production coordinator at Södra. Their interest in forestry led Anna-Ida to buy one of her father's properties, through a gift purchase in 2016.
Nurturing a special interest: Oak trees
The shared farm with 31 hectares is located in a traditional small-scale agricultural landscape, next to a Nature Reserve. Around the farm and the border with the reserve, Daniel and Anna-Ida try to create the same type of nature and character as inside the reserve.
"We both have a great interest in oaks," explains Anna-Ida. "The oaks that now stand beautifully around the farm were hidden in the spruce forest when we moved here. If an oak appears in the forest, we dig a trench around it so that it has a chance to develop. The goal is for it to become a productive oak, but around the house, it's more about creating beautiful surroundings."
Spreading the risks
Daniel and Anna-Ida are not opposed to planting spruce, but since spruce dominance has been significant on the property and many stands are the same age, they want to do what they can to increase diversity.
"We try to adapt to the site," says Daniel. "It's not really that difficult, but the challenge is not to make it too cluttered and mixed, to have a system so that everything can be managed properly. For example, if we plant pine, we want to do it in a cohesive area. Then we can plant some deciduous trees beside that area."
The philosophy of spreading the risks also involves adapting to climate change.
"We know that the climate is changing and that it is getting drier," says Anna-Ida. "That means we can't be completely sure what will work in the future. So, it feels important to have different tree species and to dare to try other trees than spruce."
Help from Södra
Södra has helped with final felling, but Anna-Ida and Daniel believe it would be more difficult to let go of clearing and planting.
"At the same time, we want good growth and to bring on the right tree species," says Anna-Ida. "So if we really felt that we didn't have enough time, we could probably get help with that too. It's important that it gets done."
A place to relax and enjoy
According to Daniel, it's not so challenging having the forest with them both in their professional and personal lives.
"I've only been working this way for three years, but I still feel a great urge to go out and do clearing in my forest when I'm home for a day," he says. "I can plant in the evening after a workday, but for clearing, I usually take a whole day now and then during the winter months."
For Anna-Ida, who has a more desk-based job during the day, moments in the forest serve as both relaxation and pleasure.
"For me, it's very relaxing to go out and plant or clear," she says. "Thinning out a planted area is so rewarding; you can really feel how the trees take advantage of the new space. I also enjoy the task of nurturing small oaks, creating beautiful forest edges, pollarding trees, and making the pastures look nice."
"We've found a balance in preserving and developing our forest"
André Torstensson and Evelina Eklund have found their place. Both with each other and with life on the farm and in the forest. André is also an elected representative in Södra.
André and Evelina enjoy life at their farm, a few miles southwest of Kalmar. Here, André is the thirteenth generation on the farm, which has been in the family for exactly 400 years. He has his own contracting company, is the vice chairman of the forestry area, and is a very dedicated forest owner. Evelina works as an art teacher at a secondary school and spends much of her time outside of work in the forest and the farm.
The farm covers approximately 300 hectares of productive forest land. The old highest coastline runs straight through the property, which means that the land is rocky on one side and sandy on the other. The forests are predominantly coniferous and consist of about 60 percent pine.
"We almost exclusively plant pine," explains André. "I don't think spruce will survive here in the long run, but pine grows well. Historically, mast trees have also been felled in the village, so pine undoubtedly thrives. Around the village centre, there is also a lot of deciduous trees, especially oak."
We need productive forests
André wants to continue with the productive focus that previous generations have had. He tries to concentrate nature conservation on the best-suited areas which benefit the most. Recently, for example, he carried out a ten-hectare oak thinning to promote biodiversity.
Evelina and André agree that productive forest plays an important role in the transition to a sustainable future.
"We believe that we need to harness the potential in the forest in a sustainable way for the green transition," says Evelina. "Partly to replace fossil materials and partly because Södra and others are trying to find even more ways for forest raw materials to be useful. There is great potential in the forest."
A life on the farm and in the forest
André and Evelina enjoy spending time together in the forest. "The smallest forest walk easily turns into work," says Evelina. "We walk a lot with the dog and take the opportunity to see what needs to be done. This spring we planted, sometimes we are out clearing. No two days are alike. Shortly after André took over the forest, we had a forest fire on two hectares. Then monitoring and extinguishing was our life for a couple of weeks."
Evelina also helps André in his business. She describes it as a lifestyle choise, buildning up the farm and the forest and their lives around it. "It's a constant collaboration," agrees André, "and that's why we say that we run this together."
As if having their own business, farm, and forest wasn't enough, André is also involved in Södra as an elected representative. There are several reasons why he chose to get involved in the cooperative, not least the opportunity to influence his own position as a forest owner and Södra member, while caring for and preserving democracy within Södra.
The job that keeps on giving
André explains that his elected position certainly requires work, but that it also gives a lot back. "I probably spend time equivalent to a month's work per year on my elected position. But this also includes joining other boards and councils where I participate on Södra's mandate as vice chairman of the forestry area. These assignments create synergies on several levels, give me a large network of contacts, as well as interesting deep dives and perspectives on different aspects of forest ownership."
Growing the forest for the future
Otherwise, Evelina and André continue to "do their thing," that is, respect the work of previous generations while putting their own stamp on the farm. "I think we have found that balance," says André. "I'm careful that the money the farm generates is reinvested, so that we can pass on something that is in even better condition to the next generation."
Evelina nods in agreement.
"We manage the forest for our children"
In December 2022, Kristofer and Maddeleine Andersson took over Kristofer's family farm. The couple's goal is to manage the forest to their own economic advantage, while also providing their children with good conditions to one day take over.
For Kristofer Andersson, it was a given to take over the family farm. He is at least the seventh generation here and grew up in the house where he now lives with his wife Maddeleine and their children Melker and Lilly, aged 8 and 6 respectively.
The property is 65 hectares, of which 52 hectares are productive forest land, mostly mixed forest and spruce. The pastures and meadows are leased to farmers in the area.
"For me and Maddeleine, the farm is about sustainable management with an economic advantage," says Kristofer. "We take care of what previous generations have created, get an economic return from the work we do ourselves, and at the same time rejuvenate the forest for future generations. It's important that the forest is well-managed and economically sustainable, so that our children have the opportunity to buy the farm and buy us out if they want to take over in the future."
One man and his forest
"I do most of the work in the forest myself, but not regeneration felling," says Kristofer. "It's not worth it. In fact, thinning just about breaks even, considering that a four-wheel drive tractor and a good four-wheel drive forest trailer are needed to haul out the timber. Clearing is the most profitable, and economically it would probably have been enough to just do clearing. The rest we could have outsourced."
Kristofer's advisor at Södra, Julius Berg, agrees:
"Focusing on clearing is a good tip for anyone who has limited time to spend in the forest," he says. "Manual thinning is much harder to make profitable."
Several advisors
As an interested forest owner, Kristofer values being able to bounce ideas off his advisor at Södra and others in his circle of acquaintances. "It works very well with Julius," says Kristofer. "We are at similar stages in life and think somewhat alike about the forest. As an advisor, Julius also has other and deeper knowledge, so it's always interesting to talk forestry with him."
Kristofer also gets good advice from his childhood friend Adam Lindgren, who has helped with some thinning and smaller regeneration fellings.
Impoving forest roads
In connection with the two smaller regeneration fellings carried out last year, Kristofer took the opportunity to clean ditches and improve forest roads. He also straightened another road and ensured that it is possible to get to a plot that will be regenerated within a six-year period by car and trailer.
"I grew up with the idea that roads are our lifelines in the forest," he says. "If you don't take care of them, it will require even more work and money to restore them. Besides, it's nice to have roads that are in order, so they can be used when cycling, hunting, or just walking."
Biodiversity matters
Around the house and farmyard, there are beautiful pastures and old oak groves. The area is designated for nature conservation management, and biodiversity is important to Kristofer and Maddeleine.
"We are double certified and do what we can to benefit insects and birdlife," says Kristofer. "We have an upcoming felling that borders this area, and we aim to manage the stand boundary well. Maybe we'll save a birch screen and thin it out to create a nice transition. The oak stand is characteristic of the farm and looks beautiful next to the lake."
Why we like beeing part of Södra
When Kristofer and Maddeleine took over the farm, they chose to become members of Södra. There were several advantages that appealed to them.
"What I like about the membership is that there is an opportunity to influence. Södra's member app, provides a good overview of the property, the forestry plan, and measures. Local connection is important to me, and I can always call the local Södra office if I have any questions. Södra's economic model also appealed. I consider parts of it as a pension and a bonus for the day we retire."
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Use the search bar in the top menu or go to our contact page to find the right contact person.