News article, 20. December 2021

Farmer of the future 2022 – the three winners

Every year, three farmers in Denmark who have gone the extra mile for sustainability, sales and technology, are selected as the Farmers of the Future.

The agricultural sector has named three farmers as Farmers of the Future 2022 for their strong business concepts in sustainability, sales and technology.

Flemming Nør-Pedersen, Acting CEO of the Danish Agriculture & Food Council, praised the three winners on a live link at AgroWeb.dk. The three winners also received DKK 25,000 each.

"The Farmers of the Future are excellent examples of the many Danish farmers who produce high quality food on a daily basis in a climate-efficient way and by deploying the latest technologies.

"Now more than ever we need Danish farmers who can think outside of the box and who are able to come up with solutions that develop our business, create growth and adopt initiatives that take the climate, nature and the environment into account.”

Winner – Farmer of the Future 2022 in the Sustainability category

Jesper Arnth wants to make optimal use of the energy and resources on his farm. He uses the heat from the milk to heat the farmhouse and for the washing water that is used for the milking carousels and water tanks. He is also at the top of Arla’s climate checklist as one of the farmers with the lowest CO2 emissions per kg milk. He also uses digital tools to make feeding more efficient, which benefits the climate. In fact, Jesper Arnth has achieved a feed conversion rate of 98 per cent.

For Jesper Arnth, sustainability encompasses more than the climate and nature. It also covers social sustainability. To this end, his highly valued team includes trainees, skilled workers and flex workers.

Winner: Farmer of the Future 2022 in the Sales category

Marianne and Bertel Hestbjerg run an organic farm called Hestbjerg. They sell their two brands, the Poppel Pig from Hestbjerg and Bertel’s Pig, to the COOP and Dansk Cater. Indeed, the Poppel pig has succeeded in putting them on the map in Denmark. The pig is the only one that has been awarded four hearts by the COOP’s own welfare label for a particularly high welfare standard. They have also succeeded in communicating their messages directly to consumers via social media. Through the co-owned Organic Pork company, they have also started a business known as Måltidsboxen (Mealbox), which sells home-cooked meals prepared by chefs for home delivery.

Winner: Farmer of the Future 2022 in the Technology category

Kristian Boel Østergaard employs the latest technology to get the best out of his fields. He uses precision technology to avoid overlap and to differentiate seeds, fertiliser and reduce the need for measures to control weeds. On the basis of the latest technologies and by mastering its finer points, he has increased his yield by as much as 10 per cent. This is why he is also involved in the Danish Agriculture Agency’s pilot project on precision agriculture.

This is the fourth time for three Danish farmers to be appointed Farmers of the Future. The aim is to inspire other farmers with innovative ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit to make their ideas grow, mature and translate into a business that benefits both farmers and the profession.

The Farmer of the Future is arranged by LandbrugsMedierne and SEGES and is sponsored by Bridgestone, Jyske Bank, SAGRO, Yara and Agromek.