Skyttes Gartneri

Skyttes Gartneri ApS is dependent upon being able to move the cultivation of vegetables around using a crop rota-tion with a restorative effect. The market garden has agreements for land rental from Lars Skytte and other land-owners, but it also has agreements with several neighbours on land exchange. The company’s operation and devel-opment depends on this. Among other things, this is the situation that gave birth to the idea of shared operations.

SOCIALLY BENEFICIAL AGRICULTURE'S (SBA) INVOLVEMENT IN SKYTTE’S GARTNERI
In 2015, Skyttes Gartneri ApS and its neighbours contacted Or-ganic Denmark. They wanted to develop shared operations of specialised farming companies, where the shared operations would lease out the land that the specialised farming compa-nies based their production on. Together, we prepared a plan for a preparatory phase where the shared operations and its function were described. SBA held meetings where the partici-pants could reach a common understanding of what would be involved in the shared operations and have the chance to align their expectations.


Models were prepared for the shared operations. A lawyer provided advice concerning organisation, agreements with landowners and matters concerning buildings. After this, the plan was to invite others to join in the formation of the shared operations.


Subsequently, an alternative approach was prepared, where the shared operations were established first and new members were accepted afterwards. Lease agreements were discussed. After this, the shared operations entered a maturation phase.

 

AGREEMENTS
The participants of the shared operations must enter into a cooperation agreement. The cooperation can be organised as an association or a cooperative society, which would impose more obligations.


The agreement regulates how a farming company enters into and leaves the shared operations as well as the rules that apply to the members. It would also involve production planning and the collaboration of the farming companies during the course of the year. Finally, it would outline how the economy of the shared operations would be organised and how the exchanges between the farming companies would be valued and settled.


The physical exchanges between the farming companies must be based on a system where the use of the ecosystem can be planned day by day. The shared operations enters into contracts with landown-ers on the leasing of the local ecosystem.


FINANCIAL MATTERS
The economy of the shared operations in its simplest form would be based on membership that covers the expenses of the shared operations for basic administration and leasing of land. The membership and any agreement on how to pay shall be regulated in accordance with a company’s economic activity resulting from participation in the shared operations.


The economic settlements between the individual businesses of the farming companies can be calculated in more detail with the market value of the physical exchanges. The need for more detailed calculations depends on which farming companies participate and how the system ensures that there is a match between the work of the individual farming company and its revenue.


EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING
The case involves two approaches to the establishment of shared operations. First, the plan was to invite farming com-panies to participate in establishing shared operations. Subse-quently, an approach was discussed where the shared opera-tions were established as a framework based on two farming companies and agreements with landowners for access to land. Then, additional farming companies would be invited to participate. Both approaches are relevant and possible. In practice, Skyttes Gartneri ApS finds itself in the middle of a generational change, which is demanding both financially and with respect to the work it requires. It is difficult for a farming company to manage more than one development task, so the remaining work with the shared operations has been postponed.

 

FACTS

• Skyttes Gartneri ApS is an outdoor market garden owned by Lars Skytte, Adrian Kurón and Bjarke Andersen.
• The limited-liability company was established to facilitate a generational change in the sole proprietorship Lars Skytte
• Over a period of time, Adrian and Bjarke will assume control of Lars’ share of Skyttes Gartneri ApS
• The market garden cultivates approx. 300 ha.
• In the spring rhubarb and asparagus; in the summer, lettuce, carrots, celery and kohlrabi; and in the autumn/winter scorzonera, celeriac and leek.