How the King's Cows are Shaping the Future of Swedish Farming

Thanks to King Carl Gustaf's cows, Swedish farmers are set to become better, more numerous, and wealthier. This is the goal of the research conducted at Stenhammar Castle. The king, who currently faces a 21 million SEK loss at Stenhammar, is optimistic about the future.

Finding Stenhammar Castle, located just outside Flen, isn't straightforward. Despite its known location, no signs point the way. Instead, a sign reading 'Quality Horse and Dog' indicates where to turn off Highway 55 onto a modest gravel road that disappears into the forest.

After a few kilometers, the road splits. To the right lies Stenhammar Castle on its hill, and to the left, large red barn buildings form a backdrop to grazing Angus cows and their calves.

The royal family does not own the house and land; the state does, with King Carl Gustaf, 79, as a lifetime tenant for a modest annual fee of 1,000 SEK. However, the approximately 300 cows are the king's, and the organic farming and forestry they are part of are also his.

Profitable Farm – But Not for the King

The aim is not for the king to profit from Stenhammar, which he runs as Stenhammars Godsförvaltning AB, but the farm is doing well. According to the latest financial statement, total turnover increased by over 1.5 million SEK to 17.8 million, and operating profit rose by 300,000 SEK to just under 1.1 million SEK.

"We make money in the company, we've been profitable for several years, and it's going really well," says operations manager Per Rudengren during the annual Stenhammar Day held at the estate.

"And it's also thanks to His Majesty giving us the opportunity to invest our profits in agriculture."

The gratitude is understandable, as Stenhammars Godsförvaltning AB has a multi-million debt to the king. Last year, it was revealed that the king had lent 21.8 million of his private funds to the company.

"Getting the economy to work is a challenge for all of us in agriculture, especially when conditions are tough," says King Carl Gustaf.

But the monarch is optimistic about the future as a cattle farmer, with particular faith in the research he oversees at Stenhammar.

Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) have studied the king's cows for 20 years to find new solutions and develop new technology for the country's farmers.

"It's development, development, development, that's what we live on," says the king.

"With the help of new technology, we can adapt agriculture as conditions change. The knowledge from SLU is an asset for the future for us here at Stenhammar, for the agricultural sector, and for our entire country, of course."

Researchers: Calculating Profitability

Today, 40% of all hamburgers, bacon packages, and entrecotes consumed in Sweden are imported, and both the number of beef cattle and beef companies are decreasing.

It's simply difficult for Swedish beef farmers to make ends meet – not everyone has royal funds to draw from when there's a budget shortfall.

Two of the researchers who have spent time in the king's stables and pastures to try to make cattle farming more profitable are agronomy doctor Kristina Holmström and associate professor Anna Hessle.

"We've looked at how much time a cow takes to care for, and what you spend your time on. And you always find, 'this is a factor that cuts work time,' or 'this is a factor that could make it profitable,'" says Kristina Holmström.

"We've also calculated whether it's profitable to go from small pastures, i.e., small enclosures, to making a larger one, perhaps including a forest area or incorporating a small field."

Anna Hessle, who is also a department head at SLU, adds that the king's herd has contributed many insights over the years.

"We've looked at how much the king's cows eat, what different feeds can be given to the cows in winter, and which were ultimately most profitable.

"We've also used the king's cows in parasite trials to see if calves born earlier in the year got more pasture-borne parasites than those born later in the year."

The King: "Then the Farm Thrives"

For the king and Stenhammar, the researchers' work has led to the breeding of hybrid cows, explains operations manager Per Rudengren.

"The crossbreeding happening today, between the Simmental and Angus breeds, has come about through SLU, those ideas."

The crossbreeding has led to better meat quality and higher growth for the estate, but – the king emphasizes – the most important thing is that the cows are healthier, which "is a guiding principle" for all the work he does at Stenhammar.

"If the animals are well, then the farm will be well, and the economy will be well, and then people will be well. We are all connected," says the king.