Finnish Ayrshire Breeders’ summer trip to Heisala paradise island After a little rain in the morning I wondered if I’ll get to experience an awful storm and wind. No way, when we drove to Granvik ferry port to wait for the other trip members, the sun started to shine. The youngest of our group was only two months old and interested mainly in the milk guaranteeing his living. When we got to the ferry it felt like we were travelling abroad. We smelled the sea air and got a little archipelago tour, when the ferry stopped at the Björkholm island. Out mini-cruise ended up at Heisala island where two tractors with trailers were waiting for us. The other tractor driver looked very familiar, it was Petri Uusitalo from Länsi-Maito (dairy cooperative). We got some this year’s hit product – hand disinfection – on our hands before climbing to the trailers and starting the drive to the farm. The atmosphere in the archipelago is quite unique. We saw summer cottages varying from old, wooden houses to big villas and modern houses. In the docks there were rowing boats and expensive yachts. At the destination we met Santalahti farm’s owners Sonja Ek-Johansson and Andreas Johansson. Andreas told us something about the history of the farm. Next year the farm has been in the family for 100 years. Andreas’s parents grew wheat, rye, cucumbers and sugar beet. It was very hard work. Andreas took over in 2007 and a year after that Sonja moved to the farm. They have two children, Kalle and Matilda. The oldest part of the barn is from year 1952. The tie-stall barn was built
Antte kertoi saaren olevan tunnettu myös Rahkosen omenatarhasta. Omenapuita yrittäjän omistuksessa on kaiken kaikkiaan 40 000 puuta. Heisala Craft Drink Company valmistaa
Ayrshire-lehti 2/2020
näistä omenoista mm. siideriä, limsaa ja lonkeroa. Muutama tunti saarella hurahti hetkessä ja paluu yhteyslautalle odotti. Talvella saarella on varmasti vähemmän romanttista. Myös
in 1976 and then the farm started to concentrate on milk production. 20 years ago a new barn for 60 cows was built. A used VMS-milking robot started it’s work on the farm 8 years ago and last year a new barn for 2 VMSrobots and a calf house got ready. Sonja and Andreas are happy for the cows’ better circumstances which have raised the production. In the barn there are deep stalls which are filled with separated dung. Ayrshire cows have been bred on the farm for a long time. One of the breeding goals is to get better milk components. There are some Holsteins and Jerseys in the herd but the majority of cows are Ayrshires. Andreas is also a member of Faba board. We saw fine cows on pasture even though the cows didn’t really want to get evaluated by us but go to the barn. Especially a cow by Duo Star Normandin stayed in my mind. She had milked over 90 000 kgs and had a beautiful udder and good legs. We also visited heifers who had their pasture along the beach. It was magical. Usually you see people sunbathing on that kind of beach. At the Valio’s tent we got some refreshments and enjoyed herring sandwiches. A couple of hours on the island went really fast and we had to return to the ferry port. I guess the atmosphere on the island is less romantic in winter than in summer. Some routine work like driving the bales from the continent to the island also takes quite a long time because of travelling on the ferry. Thank you all for the happy company and relaxed feeling and all the best to Heisala!
monet rutiinityöt kuten paalien hakeminen mantereelta vievät aikaa, koska yhteysaluksella matkustaminen ottaa oman aikansa. Kiitos iloisesta seurasta ja rennosta tunnelmasta
kaikille ja hyvää jatkoa Heisalaan! Riikka Lehtinen
Kesäretkeläiset tutustumassa lehmiin. Kuva Saija Räikkönen
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