Cattle farm optimising feed and harvest. Case Kujalan Tila, Hailuoto, Finland
Kujalan Tila cattle farm
Hailuoto, Bothnian Bay, Northern Finland
In the windy island’s field landscapes, quality, history, and self-sufficiency go hand in hand. Kujalan Tila cattle farm operating on the island is no ordinary farm: it has been continuously operating since 1582 and is today a fully certified organic farm. On this more than 400-year-old organic estate, farming is a constant balancing act between unpredictable weather conditions and the exact nutritional needs of the livestock. The farm breeds premier beef cattle: Simmental, Hereford, and Limousin , whose healthy growth relies almost entirely on organic grain grown on their own fields.
The scale of operations is expanding rapidly: the farm currently cares for around 270 animals, and in just a month, the herd size will grow to over 400 animals. Raising premium beef breeds requires precise protein intake to ensure muscle development and optimal growth rates. With such significant expansion, ensuring high-quality organic feed is no matter of chance. To guarantee optimal growth, health, and overall well-being for the larger herd without synthetic inputs, nutrition must be precisely balanced. Until now, deciding the harvest time and assessing grain quality relied largely on traditional methods, calendars, and external laboratory samples, the results of which could take days to arrive.
The time was ripe for change when this historic and fast-growing farm decided to step into precision agriculture by acquiring the portable GrainSense GO measuring device.
The Challenge: Optimal Harvest Timing and Organic Feed Optimization for a Growing Herd
In Hailuoto’s island conditions, harvesting weather can change rapidly, making the assessment of grain moisture directly from the field critical. If grain is harvested too wet, drying costs skyrocket; if harvested too late, the crop loses its best nutritional values and faces weather-related quality risks.
However, moisture control alone was not enough. Especially with the herd growing to over 400 head of high-demand Simmental, Hereford, and Limousin cattle. To achieve optimal livestock growth under strict organic standards, the farm needed real-time data on the grain’s protein content. Protein is a key factor affecting muscle build and livestock growth. Without exact knowledge of their own organic grain’s protein values, expensive organic supplementary feed was often over-supplied to be safe, incurring extra costs, or under-supplied, which immediately impacted animal growth.
The Solution: On-Field Grain Analysis with GrainSense GO
The introduction of GrainSense GO brought quality control straight into the farmer’s pocket. The device is the world’s first portable meter based on NIR (Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) technology, analyzing grain moisture, protein content, oil content, and starch from just a few kernels in seconds.
“Previously, we had to send samples to a laboratory and wait days for the results. Thanks to GrainSense GO, we get reliable data on grain protein and moisture right in the palm of our hand directly in the field,” Timo Kujala says.
During the active harvest season, the device measures moisture across different field plots before starting the combine harvester. This helps optimize the harvesting sequence and save significantly on drying energy.
After harvesting, grain batches are analyzed and categorized by protein content right at the storage stage, allowing precise feed planning for the expanded beef herd.
Results: Better Growth and Clear Cost Savings
The implementation of GrainSense GO has brought visible benefits to both animal welfare and farm economics:
- Optimized Cattle Nutrition and Better Growth: Knowing the exact protein content of each organic grain batch allows feed recipes to be adjusted perfectly for over 400 Simmental, Hereford, and Limousin cattle. Costly organic supplementary feeds are used only when genuinely needed, leading to steady growth and excellent overall conditioning.
- Energy and Feed Cost Savings: Precise timing of the harvest has reduced crop drying costs. Additionally, targeted use of purchased organic feed has generated direct savings in feeding expenses.
- Better Decision-Making: Data saved to the mobile application provides accurate historical records of crop quality across different fields, aiding future fertilization and organic cultivation planning.
The Hailuoto farm is an astonishing example of how traditional organic agriculture practiced since 1582, top-tier Simmental, Hereford, and Limousin cattle breeds, rapid scale-up to over 400 animals, and modern cutting-edge technology meet. GrainSense GO has ensured that every handful of harvested grain best serves livestock welfare and farm profitability.
Kujalan Tila cattle farm. Hailuoto, Finland. Picture: Kujalan Tila
Picture: Kujalan Tila
Barley quality analysis on the field.
