The land
Wiberg's sits on 88 hectares in Kuusjoki, Southwest Finland. Fields, forest, margins, and farmyard. This is where we farm, and it's this land we steward.
The place that makes it real
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hectares
Fields, forest, margins, and farmyard
0mm
annual precipitation
Average for this region. Maritime-influenced, steady through the year
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growing days
Late April through mid-October
Three zones
Fields
56 hectares of arable land
The fields at Ali-Härri are silty clay, fine-textured and slow to drain. A network of subsurface drainage pipes runs beneath them, carrying water to the ditches. The Kuusjoki River flows through our fields. We observe compaction, waterlogging during wet periods, limited organic matter, and few worms. All fields are now in mixed grass and clover pasture, and we are integrating animals to address these challenges.
Forest
24 hectares of productive mixed forest
Spruce, pine, and birch across mineral soils ranging from herb-rich to dry heath. The standing volume is approximately 5,265 cubic metres, growing at 190 cubic metres per year. The forest is managed under a continuous cover forestry plan, prioritising species and age diversity. Selective harvesting keeps the canopy intact, supports natural regeneration, and maintains the forest as habitat, carbon store, and a place to walk.
Margins
8 hectares serving infrastructure, roads, and edges
The remaining land is access roads, drainage ditches, field margins, and the ground beneath the farmyard and barns. Most farms treat these in-between spaces as waste. We see them differently: buffer zones along waterways, habitat corridors between fields and forest, strips where pollinators and ground-nesting birds find cover. The margins hold the landscape together, and we are eager to find ways to make them more productive.
Features of the landscape
Kuusjoki River
The river that gives the village its name runs along the northern boundary of the farm. It connects the land to the broader watershed of the Archipelago Sea.
Function: Supports riparian habitat, attracts pollinators and birds along the banks, and gives the farm an enjoyable walking route
Exposed bedrock
Rocky outcroppings emerge across the property where the soil thins to nothing. These areas break up the field and forest pattern as well as create microclimates: warmer in spring, sheltered from wind, and home to lichens and mosses that grow nowhere else on the farm.
Function: Creates sheltered microclimates and provides refuge for diverse species
Pond
An existing pond on the property supports amphibians, dragonflies, and migratory birds that use it as a stopover.
Function: Provides wildlife habitat, retains water, and anchors biodiversity on the farm
Subsurface drainage
Perforated pipes buried roughly one metre deep run beneath the fields, carrying excess water to surface ditches. On silty clay soils, this infrastructure is what makes farming possible. Without it, the fields would waterlog through the wet seasons and compact under their own weight. We are curious to see how our management may change this over time.
Function: Keeps fields accessible and transports excess water away from the field
Own well
The farm has its own well, providing water independent of municipal supply. It serves the livestock and irrigation for the future market garden.
Function: Provides water independence from municipal supply and supports daily farm operations
The patchwork
The farm is not one neat rectangle. The fields are spread across multiple cadastral parcels, separated by forest, ditches, and neighbours. The farthest field is a ten-minute drive from the farm. This scattered layout is typical of Finnish farmland. It adds logistical complexity, but it also creates natural edges and transitions that are fun to play with.
Function: Creates edge habitat, connects landscape patches, and adds microclimate diversity