Lyckeby

Meet our growers

Our passion for functional starch is driven by a desire to create products that not only meet high standards of functionality and innovation, but also contribute to a more sustainable and responsible future. For us, it is important to have a good relationship and close cooperation with our growers. Together, we work actively to reduce the environmental impact from cultivation to the finished product. Our close cooperation ensures that the quality of the products meets our and our customers’ expectations.

Karin

Namn: Karin
Ort: Fågelmara in Blekinge

How long have you been a farmer and run a farm?
I started working at home on the farm in 2015.

How long have you been a member of Sveriges Stärkelseproducenter förening, and what made you decide to start growing and join the association?
I have been a member since 2017 when my brother-in-law and I took over the crop cultivation on the farm. At that time, it was natural to continue.

What is your experience of Lyckeby as an association?
I appreciate the openness and the close connection to decision-makers.

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Tell us about your potato cultivation; how many hectares do you grow on?
We grow about 23 hectares of potatoes.

What is the best thing about growing starch potatoes?
Good profitability and fun growing. It’s fun to see the result of the cultivation when picking – that there is so much of what you put in the spring.

What is unique about your operation and cultivation?
There is nothing unique in itself, perhaps. We grow primarily on light sandy soils and have quite a high incidence of stone in places. We lay stone bedding before we put the potatoes directly in the beds, and as we live in a rainless corner, irrigation is an integral part of our lives. Another big part is plant protection against, for example, leaf mold, Alternaria, and pests.

What does a typical day look like for you during peak season?
An intensive period is when we prepare the soil in the spring, spread fertilizer, tillage, and stone stringing, and then plant the potatoes.

During the summer, the focus is on irrigation and spraying. Then, in late summer and fall, the potatoes are picked and transported.

How do you see the future of farming?
I have a positive view of future cultivation; it has been our most profitable. Developing potato varieties is essential to optimizing parameters such as drought resistance, storage resistance, starch content, etc. I look forward to developing our part here on the farm and working to streamline the work related to climate change, drought, and water availability.

Filip

Namn: Filip
Ort: Kristianstad

How long have you been a farmer and run a farm?
I have been running my farm since 2020, when we changed generations on the 150-hectare farm. I have worked on the farm since childhood and full-time since graduating in 2012, and I am responsible for plant cultivation.

How long have you been a member of Sveriges Stärkelseproducenter förening, and what made you decide to start growing and join the association?
I became a member when I took over the farm in 2020. My father was a member when I was a child, but during his last 15 years, he chose to focus on chip potatoes and sold his shares. I took over the chip contract but wanted to increase my potato growing. Starch potato growing is attractive for my business, not only for economics but also to spread machine capacity and its benefits with diseases and pests.

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What is your experience of Lyckeby as an association?
Fast-paced, kind, and understanding. The association’s commitment to the development of cultivation is in a class of its own in agricultural Sweden.

Tell us about your potato cultivation; how many hectares do you grow on?
I currently run my farm of 150 hectares in an AB and lease a farm of 530 hectares, including pig production in an AB, together with a neighbor. We have more than 1000 hectares of crop cultivation, where the operation is managed jointly. We grow about 240 hectares of potatoes, where half the area is chips and half starch. In addition, we plant and pick 40 hectares for another neighbor, who buys several truckloads from us. We cultivate good seeds in the main, but heavier soils are plowed and run with a full-width mower.

What is the best thing about growing starch potatoes?
The economy is always the most important thing when you are an entrepreneur, and potatoes contribute positively to that. They’re also a crop that responds to dexterity and where you never become fully trained, so interest is maintained.

What is unique about your operation and cultivation?
We use machine cooperation between the companies, which started before the joint leasehold farm. My company is responsible for the potato planter with combined fertilization and pickling, while my colleague’s company is responsible for the harvesting with two modern harvesters and a trailer. On my farm’s crops, we are experimenting with control files for potassium before planting and sowing and with satellite images for controlling nitrogen during supplementary fertilization.

What does a typical day look like for you during peak season?
During potato planting, the day starts with plant protection treatment at 03.00. At 07.00, we pick up for the day’s potato planting and run in a team of at least three people until 19.00-20.00. If the weather allows, additional plant protection treatment may be needed after this.

During the summer, potatoes are sprayed weekly after mold control, and irrigations run at high pressure. Almost 20 machines must be kept running by those of us working in the companies. We take time off, especially in July, which often means a few hours here and there or maybe even a whole day if everything goes well.

Late summer threshing is followed by potato harvesting, where we then drive almost every day until we finish in the first weeks of November. I drive a wagon full-time and am a roughneck.

How do you see the future of farming?
Positively. We have a responsibility to future generations to cultivate the earth, and before I move on, I will experience a lot of exciting things as a farmer.

Viktor

Namn: Viktor
Ort: Ramdala in Blekinge

How long have you been a farmer and run a farm?
I have been involved in the farm since childhood. I took over my father’s shares in 2010 and bought some more. Starch cultivation has been and is enjoyable. They are always good, spread the risks, and have more legs to stand on. I also grow cereals, sugar beet, corn, and grass.

How long have you been a member of Sveriges Stärkelseproducenter förening, and what made you decide to start growing and join the association?
I have been a member of the association since I took over the farm in 2010, which means I’ve been part of it for 15 years now. I really appreciate the opportunity it provides to meet other growers and be part of such a great network. Here, you can both share your own experiences and gain valuable tips and advice from others.

As a member of the eastern circle, I am disappointed that the eastern factory was closed down. The proximity is always nice, but apart from that, I like it and think the association feels stable.

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Tell us about your potato farm; how many hectares do you grow on?
I grow 45 hectares of starch potatoes of the varieties ‘Kuras’ ‘Jubilat’ and ‘Allstar’.

What is the best thing about growing starch potatoes?
Good profitability if you look at five years.

What is unique about your operation and cultivation?
We manage to keep up and make good harvests without having to water.

What does a typical day look like for you during peak season?
If you think about a day in September, they are busy picking potatoes either at home or at one of my neighbors. We harvest about 140 hectares a year. We also have a herd of suckler cows that need supplementary feeding now in the fall, so they are available.

How do you see the future of farming?
I’m optimistic about the future. It’s a matter of the association being able to work on developing varieties that we can harvest well and also cope with a warmer climate.

Anders

Namn: Anders
Ort: Mjällby in Blekinge

How long have you been a farmer and run a farm?
I grew up on the farm and took over when I was 18.

How long have you been a member of Sveriges Stärkelseproducenter förening, and what made you decide to start growing and join the association?
I have been a member of the association since I took over the farm. It feels safe and inspiring to be the owner and grower of Lyckeby.

What is your experience of Lyckeby as an association?
As a member for many years, I have good experience of the association. A well-managed association with long-term goals.

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Tell us about your potato farm; how many hectares do you grow on?
I have always had potatoes in the rotation, varying amounts around 25 hectares.

What is the best thing about growing starch potatoes?
It feels safe to grow for the association, and the profitability is good.

What does a typical day look like for you during peak season?
It varies a lot depending on the weather and the season; all days are different.

How do you see the future of farming?
As we develop varieties that produce better starch and are more resistant to fungi, Lyckeby’s future looks really bright.

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