Gustaf de Laval, inventor of the steam turbine, the de Laval nozzle (essential for rocket propulsion), the milk-cream separator, to mention three and maybe the most important of his 93 patents.
Already in 1894 the Hamra Farm was purchased by de Laval's company AB Separator. The farm is situated in the little valley between the community of Tumba in the west (Yes, It's where the hockey player Sven Tumba lived in the sixties), and the Tullinge Lake in the east.
Today the main purpose for the farm is development and testing of the latest systems for automatic milking of cows!
In 1991, Alfa Laval Agri, a company producing dairy and farming machinery was split from Alfa Laval when it was bought by the Tetra Pak Group. When Alfa Laval was sold, Alfa Laval Agri remained a part of the Tetra Pak group and was renamed DeLaval, after the company's founder.
Did you follow? Me neither! :-)
We finally got that formal invitation, perhaps it is an annual event that we have missed before...
Open house on September 5th, 2009
We parked at the employee parking place in front of the DeLaval headquarters and climbed on the bus waiting for us. There is not enough space on the farm for hundreds of visitors coming by car.
The "Big Barn"
This is the map we received at arrival, so we wouldn't get lost.
Entrance to the VMS-Barn
It means that the cows are strolling around on their own, indoors or outdoors to their own wish. When they feel it's time for milking, they just put themselves in the line to the milking robot.
These vehicles are real chick magnets!
The lawn mower...
...size large.
Entrance to the demonstration barn from 1894.
Many are the celebrities, corporate leaders, UN secretary generals, and head of states that have walked these stairs, prior to Margarita! ;-)
Behind the barn
A Väderstad Carrier 650
The first equipment...
...from around the...
...previous turn of the century.
The centerpiece of the big barn.
Research and Test Centre
Research and Development Barn (The Loft)
Happy cows
The beautiful villa
A view towards Tullinge lake
The Voluntary Milking System Barn
(VMS barn)
The farm history boulder
Wheel meet again...
Don't know when, don't know where, but I know...
DeLaval global headquarters
Just for fun, and nice to know is
and a little further away from this topic is
Snake´s Head Lilly Fritillary