A farmer's view on the Baltic Sea - MTK

Nature
Bornholm has a temperate coastal climate.
Bornholm is climatically more similar to
Öland and Gotland than to the rest of
Denmark. The Baltic Sea makes spring on
Bornholm quite cold, whereas it ensures
the island quite a warm autumn. Thereby,
spring on Bornholm usually arrives about
two weeks later than in the rest of
Denmark, but equally there is a long
“Indian Summer” in August-September
which means that plants like fig and
mulberry, common further south, ripen on
Bornholm.
On average, the rainfall is less on
Bornholm than in the rest of Denmark. In
return the sun shines more hours in the
eastern part of Bornholm and the small
islands “Ertholmene” than in the rest of
Denmark.
Scottish Highland Cattle at the rift valley
“Ekkodalen” in Almindingen. Photo: Annette
Holmenlund
There are three basic types of coastlines
on Bornholm: rocks, dunes and cliffs. The
rocky coast is located in the northern part,
and dunes and cliffs in the southern part.
The varied Bornholm landscape has many different biospheres as rift valleys, rocky pastures,
heath, forests, ponds, marshes, meadows, etc. Several of the biospheres are found on
Bornholm as the only place in Denmark. Today, more than two-thirds of the island consists
of cultivated farmland in rotation. Bornholm´s soil (mostly clay) and climate are favourable
for farming.
There are also Natura 2000 areas on Bornholm. Two special protected areas for birds and 11
special areas of conservation for habitat, of which 3 are areas in the sea, have been appointed
on Bornholm. Furthermore, Ertholmene to the northeast of Bornholm is designated Ramsar
area.
Agriculture
Compared to Denmark as a whole, Bornholm accounts for approximately 1 % of the
agricultural area, nearly 1 % of the milk production and nearly 2 % of the pork production.
Furthermore, there are 3 producers of chicken on Bornholm.
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