Good Practice - Project
Maalaisjärki Farm: Bold Investments by Young Farmers
Role model young farmers use the CAP’s start‑up support to launch a media‑savvy agrifood success story.
General information
Beneficiary type
- Young farmer
CAP specific objective
- SO2. Increasing competitiveness: the role of productivity
- SO3. Farmer position in value chains
- SO4. Agriculture and climate mitigation
- SO7. Structural change and generational renewal
Intervention type
- Art. 73-74 – INVEST
- Art. 75 – INSTAL
Summary
Young Finnish farmers Anna Länsisalmi‑Keisala and Ossi Keisala purchased their first farm with support from the CAP’s generational‑renewal funds. By buying the holding from non‑family owners, they contributed directly to rural regeneration. Their farm now includes around 70 dairy cows, young stock, and a stable for seven horses. Over the past two years, they have expanded their cultivated land to 125 hectares through rentals and invested in modern equipment such as a slurry tanker applicator and an electric feed mixer wagon.
Their development plans continue, with upcoming investments in modernising the cattle barn, including a milking robot, new stall mats and improved calf pens. Anna and Ossi also share their daily farming life on social media under the name Maalaisjärki (“common sense – rural wisdom”), reaching nearly 100 000 followers across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Their strong online presence has led to collaborations with companies, helping them secure essential supplies and equipment.
Results
- Anna and Ossi Keisala represent a new generation of Finnish farmers combining innovation, sustainability and strong animal welfare practices.
- Their slurry tanker applicator cuts reliance on artificial fertilisers, while the electric feed mixer wagon improves feeding efficiency and animal welfare.
- The modern milking robot and expanded stalls enhance cow comfort, foot health and rumination, boosting milk production and reducing bedding needs.
- Their farm has become a major social media platform promoting modern agriculture, with content reaching wide audiences, including young people, and even being used in schools as educational material.
Promoter
Anna Länsisalmi-Keisala
Funding
Art. 75 - INSTAL
Total budget: 703 000 (EUR)
EAFRD: 17 200 (EUR)
National/Regional: 22 800 (EUR)
Private/own: 413 000 (EUR)
Other: 250 000 (EUR)
Art. 73-74 – INVEST*
Total budget: 193 647 (EUR)
EAFRD: 17 431 (EUR)
National/Regional: 23 105 (EUR)
Private/own: 58 454 (EUR)
Other: 94 657 (EUR)
* Two investment projects
Resources
Context
South Ostrobothnia is one of Finland’s key farming regions, yet its ageing population poses a growing challenge. In 2024, the average age of farmers in the region was 54. This is a trend that risks threatening the long‑term sustainability of food production as fewer young people choose to remain in rural areas or take over family farms.
Anna Länsisalmi‑Keisala and Ossi Keisala stand out as a notable exception. In 2023, they purchased a farm in Alavus from non‑family owners who had no successor, directly contributing to rural regeneration. Although Ossi comes from a dairy‑farming family, his brother took over the home farm, prompting Anna and Ossi to forge their own path. Anna, originally from the Helsinki area, first became familiar with farming through summer work near her family’s cottage.
Their farm includes dairy cattle and horses, and they have already made significant investments to improve efficiency and animal welfare. These include new equipment and plans to install a milking robot, stall mats and calf pens. Despite the financial pressure of early investments, they have already seen improvements in working conditions and milk yield.
Beyond primary production, they diversify their activities through horse trekking, farm tourism days and fan events. Anna also teaches social media skills to other farmers and speaks at events. Together, Anna and Ossi represent a new generation of farmers with a strong vision for the future, strengthening Finland’s food production while inspiring others through their example.
Objectives
This good practice success story in rural regeneration had core goals to:
- Purchase a farm that could provide the couple with full-time profitable employment.
- Invest continually in developing their farm by increasing milk production, promoting animal welfare and breeding their own cattle.
- Diversify business operations into farm services, horse trekking and horse breeding.
- Grow social media following to harness for business purposes, raise public awareness about the importance of farmers as food producers, and to inspire new young entrepreneurs in farming communities.
Activities
- Anna Länsisalmi‑Keisala and Ossi Keisala bought their farm in Alavus in 2023 with support from the CAP’s dedicated budget for young farmer start‑ups.
- Over the following two years, they developed the farm through a series of investments supported by CAP agricultural investment aid. These included a slurry tanker applicator, an electric feed mixer wagon, a milking robot, new stall mats and fixtures, and calf pens for the barn.
- Their daily work focuses on feeding the animals and managing their land. The new slurry applicator allows them to reuse nutrients more efficiently, reducing the need for artificial fertilisers. The electric feed mixer wagon improves animal welfare by enabling longer shredding and mixing of bales, allowing them to tailor feed mixtures to optimise both welfare and productivity.
- Further improvements included installing a modern milking robot, expanding barn stalls to provide more space for today’s larger dairy cows, and replacing stall mats with waterbeds to enhance comfort and rumination.
- Anna and Ossi are also pioneering a new form of agricultural entrepreneurship by using social media not only for outreach but also as a source of income. Collaborations with companies help them cover essential farm expenses such as feed, seeds and fertilisers.
Main results
Results for the young farmers’ project support show that Anna and Ossi Keisala are a new generation of Finnish farmers producing good practice business results by combining innovation, sustainability, and animal welfare. Results from specific modernisation investments include:
- Slurry tanker applicator that allows better use of natural nutrients and reduces reliance on artificial fertilisers – thus cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
- Electric feed mixer wagon which has significantly improved feeding efficiency and animal welfare by enabling tailored feed mixtures and eliminating the need for fossil fuels. It also replaced an old tractor that emitted harmful exhaust inside the barn, improving air quality for both animals and workers.
- New milking robot and expanded stalls to accommodate larger livestock enhanced cow comfort, foot health, and rumination, which boosts milk production. These softer stalls also reduce the need for bedding. The new milking robot has lower maintenance costs and saves time, replacing an outdated system prone to breakdowns.
- Their farm not only provides them with independence and purpose but also serves as a platform for promoting agriculture in a modern, relatable way. Through their Maalaisjärki social media channels, they share insights into farm life, animal welfare, and the importance of food production for national security. Their content reaches a wide audience, especially young people unfamiliar with farming. One TikTok video alone had over 155 000 views. Their videos are now used in schools, with teachers recommending them as educational tools. Anna and Ossi are inspiring a new generation to appreciate, and possibly pursue, farming.
Key lessons
- Anna and Ossi purchased the farm when they were young: investing over half a million euros in their own business at such an early stage was a bold move.
- Anna and Ossi’s efforts reflect a forward-thinking, environmentally conscious model of farming that supports both productivity and animal welfare.
- The pair have built a meaningful life as full-time farmers, working in a field they are passionate about.
- Their farm supports young people by offering training and apprenticeships on the farm. Through their work, they promote the value of Finnish food production and serve as role models for modern, community-oriented, and media-savvy farming.
- Anna makes agriculture familiar to a wide audience in an engaging way, while also making the daily life on farms more transparent and increasing the appreciation of food producers.