Welcome to Hiidenniemi animal farm!

Welcome to Hiidenniemi Farm blog.
By following us you will hear more about the farm and the daily life of the animals and the staff in the farm. Follow us also in Instagram and Facebook.

Still a moment to enjoy snow-white landscapes.
Towards to the spring & summer and the scenery is changing fast!

In the first blog story you will hear about the staff, people on the farm and the plans we have for animal farm. We have just started to build up the animal yard to be opened for visitors in spring 2020. What exactly the construction stages will bring, we do not know exactly yet, but we look forward to the future!

Our story will surely include funny twists and events from the sight of the farm animals who we will  introduce in following blog posts. We have real personalities on the farm, you can meet them on the spot as soon as the animal farm is opened in all its glory to visitors in 2020.

History must always be told a little, right? Here it comes, just briefly.
Our farm already has a long history behind it. Farm has once been a dairy farm with 8 cows. Managing the farm was transferred from father to daughter, and in 1997, in connection with the expansion of the farm, the number of dairy cows also increased from 8 to 23, and the breed turned into black-and-white cows, with a better breeding structure.

In 2001, Hiidenniemi log homes were built up and completed on Hiidenniemi Farm, near the shore of the lake, and with this name the cabins are known today. They are part of the Rock and Lake network log homes, a wide range of the rental cottages in the area.

Hiidenniemi log homes are located on the shore of the very fishy Lake Härkäjärvi.
In the pics one of the cottages, Hiidenkivi, which comfortably accommodates 8 people.

In the following year 2002, the marketing of log homes began to be used for rental all year round, and it still continues today.
Recently, in 2017, there was also a change in the direction of production: nowadays, heifers are raised on the farm. Breeding and production are constantly being developed.

At present, as sayed, the farm is transformed into a functional animal farm for visitors with activities for children and adults, and for example, for companies to spend their recreation day.

Our farm is located in Kangasniemi, Kutemajärvi, with good access from Kangasniemi, Joutsa, Mikkeli, Jyväskylä and Pieksämäki. The distance from Mikkeli city is 60 kilometers, 83km from Jyväskylä, 40km from Pieksämäki and only 20km from Kangasniemi. You can combine the farm visit and nearby city visits in your holiday.

Lake-Finland and the countryside are the most beautiful in the summer time and we are sure you will fall in love with natural peace and beauty. Visiting our farm and spending time in the countryside is a perfect contrast for the city vacation and the vivacity of it.

What kind of the day is the typical day on the farm, from the staff point of view?
Animals are accustomed to a particular circadian rhythm, meaning that also people of the farm are following this same rhythm, all year around from Monday to Sunday.
Normally, during the winter-autumn hours, the alarm clock wakes us up at 05.00-06.00. Even if you sometimes get tired of waking up this early, fatigue is over when you step in the barn. Animals are always happy right from the morning when they see us, the breakfast is coming, yummy! 😊 

The youngest farmers also sometimes participate
in Farm's work as well as Loru dog.

At 6 am, we are already working hard in the barn, where the ducks, quails, chickens and bunnies are currently living. They get food, water and new nest hay. Little chicks and possibly hatching chickens are checked and care is taken that they are all feeling well.

Ali pony and Nelli horse also get the food, vitamins and trace elements as well as water.

When the work in the barn is done, the rest of the day's work is considered. At the moment, the barn is being renovated and the renovation alone will add extra work to normal.

The residents of the barn wait for people and breakfast in the morning. 

In the summertime, the daily routines described above goes quite the same way. The difference with animals is that they are in the pasture and full-feeds are served on the "table", in the pasture for them. If your pedometer were on your wrist, you could easily get up to the day's goal in the morning hours!

In spring and summer, we also do much more than barn and animal farm work: fields are being rebuilt including spreading manure, plowing and regenerating. In addition, new fences are being made and fixed, and in the spring, hay seeds are sown in the field, so that the crop can be harvested for the coming winter and the cattle can get in the pasture late in July and August.
And the last but not least, Hiidenniemi log homes are also taken good care for customers.

All this may sound like a harsh workload and that's what it is, but we are used to this kind of everyday life on the farm.

At this time of year, the animals react to spring: ducks start to lay eggs and some of the chickens are now sitting on the eggs second time during half a year. The sheer day affects the animals in the same way as we do to humans. With beautiful and sunny weather, the animals have spring in the fur, on the hooves and feathers and joyful running of them in the yard is great to watch with a smile.

Stay tuned and read next blog story about Kyllikki chicken's everyday life and Tahti dog's wonder why people do not understand the joy of running after the ball.

 Tahti-dog is already waiting for the summer.
Read our blog story about what Tahti is thinking when
people do not understand the glory of running after the ball!