TODAY'S feature article and the accompanying addendum teach us that a top EPO figure, the only one capable of doing something to stop Battistelli and his army of loyalists, is anything but ethical.
From the villa to chinchillas
Friday 28 February 2014
Written by Mia Winther Jørgensen
Majbritt Kongstad with the dog Hector. Hector was bought after the family moved to the farm. He is good at catching mice and finding runaway chinchillas. Jesper Kongstad works full time but supports Majbritt in the project and also helps to feed the animals and renovate the stables so that they can expand to three hundred animals.
Two years ago Majbritt and Jesper Kongstad decided to pack up and leave Rungsted and move to the countryside at Helsinge in Northern Zealand [Denmark]. As a result of coincidences and a strong desire for new challenges the villa was replaced by a chinchilla farm.
A hundred chinchillas have found their way to BremelandsgÃÂ¥rd, but the goal is to triple the amount, as the chinchillas could be a source of income for Majbritt and Jesper Kongstad. The dream of chinchillas was planted at a dinner table where the Director of Kopenhagen Fur sowed the fledgling seeds for another Zealand fur farmer. Independence and rural life was appealing.
"We have not rejected Rungsted but rather we have chosen the countryside. I would like to be challenged again in connection with my work, and we would like to be close to nature so the farm here was the perfect choice," says Majbritt Kongstad. The farmhouse was renovated and ready to move in. The 24 hectares of land is leased out. There should be work for one person on the farm when Jesper Kongstad the Director of the Patent and Trademark Office is in Copenhagen.
"My husband works more than full time, so the work on the farm has to be looked after by one person. When he retires we can look after the farm together. Chinchillas are easy to care for. I don't understand why there are not more people breeding them because it is so straightforward," says Majbritt.
Majbritt has skinned a total of 40 animals so far. It's a learning process and it does not go quite as fast as for more experienced breeders.
The secret furs
Around 70,000 chinchilla pelts are sold annually via fur auctions held by Kopenhagen Fur. It is a small niche production and yet it was the choice which Majbritt Kongstad opted for.
"It is easier than mink. Mink, for example, requires a number of environmental approvals. Chinchillas are cute little animals and that makes it a pleasure to look after them," says Majbritt. She was introduced to the world of fur at a dinner where the Director of Kopenhagen Fur spoke about fur production in such a captivating manner that Majbritt was enthralled.
This led to Majbritt undertaking practical training on a mink farm in Zealand. She carried out further research because a mink farm seemed like an overly ambitious project. The choice fell on chinchillas and shortly afterwards Majbrit started practical training on a chinchilla farm in Præstø in Southern Zealand.
"We didn't sit down and have a brainstorming session about what to do in the country. It was probably mostly coincidences that came into play and which led to the decision to go for chinchillas. You can spend a very long time planning such things, but if you just throw yourself into it, you'll find out how to do it along the way."
She has a hundred animals so far but the plan is to expand to three hundred when the stables are renovated.
"We won't get rich on it, but I expect that I should be able to make a profit. However, I am still learning and I spend a lot of time reading and going to the fur auctions, so I can learn more about which fur is the best."
A Rural Idyll
Majbritt spends fifteen hours a week on the chinchillas. The family has no regrets about the change of lane.
"It is exciting and challenging, and that is what I wanted when I quit my job in the local authority at Fredensborg. I find it invigorating to care for the animals. It's soothing. The animals make pleasant sounds and I can allow my thoughts to fly," says Majbrit. Although it is pitch-dark and completely silent they are pleasantly surprised. "Neighbourliness is different in the countryside. People are prepared to help each other. It is an aspect that we had not seen before we moved," says Majbritt Kongstad.
The chinchilla is not just an animal for skinning. The plan is to find out whether the meat can be used for livestock feed and she would like to sell the animals she cannot use as pets.
