A 5th-Generation Farm Entering a New chapter

Haddnäs Gård is a 400-hectare coastal family farm on the Åland Islands, managed by Jonas Rosenberg alongside his mother. The fifth-generation farm combines cattle, horses, pasture-raised chickens, forestry, and grasslands

“My family farm has fortunately been managed in quite a good way before me. There hasn’t been excessive use of chemicals and animals have been present on the land for hundreds of years” explains Jonas.

Innovation has always been part of Haddnäs Gård. His great-grandfather was one of the first farmers in the area to keep animals outside during winter, a decision that reflected the family’s willingness to question traditional approaches and find solutions that fit their landscape.

Today, Jonas is carrying that same mindset forward as he leads the farm’s regenerative journey alongside his mother. Through rotational grazing, livestock integration, reduced soil disturbance, and cover cropping, he is exploring new ways to strengthen the connection between animals, soil, and biodiversity.

Finding a New Vision

In 2025, Jonas was invited to join Patricia Wiklund’s regenerative agriculture project, Northern Roots, where farmers, innovators and researchers from across the world shared their experiences and ideas.

It was not one presentation or one person. It was the energy of a whole community approaching farming with curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to experiment. “People were sharing what worked, what didn’t work, and what they had learned along the way. It was a completely different way of looking at farming,” he exclaims. “It was amazing to see so many people who were thinking differently about agriculture. People were sharing their mistakes and learning from each other.”

For Jonas, this openness was something new. As he says, “In regenerative farming, you almost brag about who makes the biggest mistake because that is how you learn.” Northern Roots gave Jonas the inspiration, knowledge, and network to accelerate Haddnäs Gård’s transition. “Now I’m running as fast as I can towards creating a farm where profitability and ecology go hand in hand.”

Bringing New Ideas to the Land

Returning from Northern Roots, Jonas began putting ideas into practice across Haddnäs Gård.

The family farm already had a long history of working with animals and caring for the landscape. But Jonas saw new opportunities to strengthen the connection between livestock, soil, and biodiversity. “Animals have been present on the land for hundreds of years, but there are always things you can improve.” Jonas shares.

With very sandy soils and a changing climate, Jonas is focused on building a farm that works with its landscape rather than against it.

He introduced rotational grazing, extended the grazing season, and began using cattle and chickens together as part of the farm’s ecosystem. Today, around 100 cattle, more than 200 pasture-raised chickens, and seven horses are part of the farm’s evolving system.

“The cows go first, and then the chickens follow behind. We have been seeing results quickly with the soil health principles.”

Farming, but With Superpowers

For Jonas, regenerative agriculture is not about following a fixed recipe. It is about observing, experimenting, and constantly learning.

As such, curiosity and creativity have now become his greatest tools.Whether using   cow stomach contents, seaweed and compost to create his own fermented fertilizer or inventing a remote-controlled cattle gate, which earned him second place in a farming technology competition, Jonas is always looking for smarter ways to work with nature.

Looking ahead, he envisions Haddnäs Gård as a thriving ecosystem of animals, food production, and biodiversity. “I’m very excited to see how the farm will look in a couple of years,” he shares. “We’re doing more things and having more fun. To me this is the essence of regeneration. You never stop learning.”

Written by Top 50 Farmers and Lihn Pham