Bakkegården

Ole's cattle were surplus - now the animals make a difference

In the northernmost part of the Wadden Sea National Park, where the Varde River flows into Ho Bay, lies Bakkegård. Since 2012, Ole has kept cattle which were surplus to Esben, who uses his animals for milk production in Varde. At Ole's farm, the animals contribute to nature conservation, biodiversity, and good meat, allowing each animal to make its own contribution to the world.

A year at Bakkegård:

Grazing cows bring life to breeding birds

At Bakkegård's fields, only grass grows because this area can experience storm surges, making the choice of cattle easy. Cattle are the only animals that can benefit from meadowland since the cow's four stomachs process the grass.

During the summer, the cattle graze in the meadows in Varde Ådal and at Ho Bugt. During this period, the cattle mostly eat grass. Grazing also creates good conditions for breeding birds, as small birds depend on cow dung. Meadow birds aren't fed by their mother, so they need the small insects' larvae found in cow dung to survive.

Healthy animals increase Omega 3 in the meat

When grass stops growing in autumn, the cattle are brought into the barn where they receive a good, healthy feed mixture and care. The feed is homegrown, so Ole knows the content thoroughly, contributing to healthy and robust animals. The animals are fed based on the principle "you are what you eat", and for the cattle, grass and straw are their natural feed, so that's what they get. Besides healthy animals, this also results in healthy meat. Cattle fed with grass and straw produce meat with a fatty acid composition that is better for humans, due to a higher content of Omega 3.

The cows create manure for crops

During winter, the animals are in the barn, and Ole collects their dung, which is used as fertilizer for crops such as oats (for oatmeal), malt barley, and grain, which are sold. It is also used for horse beans, rye, peas, and grass, which are used as feed for the animals.