A Swedish Sanctuary in Need
by Clément Martz
Photography by Clément Martz
The name Malvadal is a reference to Malva - a plant commonly known as Mallow in the English language. This extraordinary plant has healing properties.
Many of us have heard human mothers say, “You will understand when you have your first baby,” to describe the unique bond shared with their own child.
This is how Michelle Berghäll feels when waking up every morning before sunrise.
Her priority is to feed her boys — three pigs, Otto, Noah, and Teo — along with the other animals who reside at Malvadal Grisfristad — “Mallow Pig Freetown” in the south of Sweden.
“After doing my morning round, I usually have my cup of coffee, watching Otto and Noah roam freely in the field. They are so happy,” she shares.
This is what drove the 39-year-old woman to take in a few-week-old pigs — Otto and Noah — along with Teo, who were rescued from a Swedish pig farm in 2021.
Otto and Teo as piglets sit inside their tunnel at Malvaldal Grifristad sanctuary, Sweden, in August 2021.
Otto, Teo and Noah take a nap inside their stable at Malvaldal Grifristad sanctuary, Sweden, in November 2021.
Otto can be described as the mischievous one, always trying to find ways to get more food or annoy his brothers. Noah has a unique expression, and when one looks into his eyes, wisdom and calmness best describe his personality. Teo had a more complex personality — he wasn’t always social, but he had his moments. If one took the time to understand him, he was just as sweet as his two brothers.
Otto meets a dog for the first time at the Malvadal Grisfristad sanctuary, Sweden, in June, 2021.
Sadly, Teo is mentioned in the past tense. After numerous attempts to help him recover from health complications, there were no other options but to put him down for his own sake.
This is a heartbreaking situation for the sanctuary. Teo was Michelle’s baby and the love of her life.
When Michelle rescued him, Teo was given a second chance at life and experienced 833 days of pure freedom and love starting from the day he would have been put into a gas chamber.
In Sweden, along with many other countries, this is the most common way pigs are rendered unconscious before slaughter.
In fact, between 2.5 and 3 million pigs are slaughtered for pork production each year.
Young pigs who are being fattened up for pork meat production inside a stall at a pig farm, Sweden, November 2021.
Ask ChatGPT and you will find that there are “approximately 30 to 40 animal sanctuaries in Sweden, though the exact number can vary depending on the type of animals they focus on and the classification of sanctuaries. Many of these sanctuaries focus on rescuing and caring for farm animals, such as pigs, cows, and chickens, as well as other species. However, the number of sanctuaries dedicated to farm animals specifically is much smaller, with only a few such as Malvadal offering a place for pigs and other farm animals to live freely.”
Teo not only captured the heart of his caretaker, but he also offered a precious gift to many visitors.
He showed them a different perspective — that pigs are not just farm animals bred for meat, but sentient beings, just like cats and dogs, who can connect with humans.
A 10-minute car ride down the road from Sweden’s largest slaughterhouse, surrounded by pig and dairy farms, Otto, Noah, and Michelle continue to live Teo’s legacy.
Teenage neighbors turn into volunteers after school hours, and visitors come by on weekends. Families and children spend time cuddling with the boys.
A paradoxical scene takes place — pigs running around freely, loved and cared for unconditionally, while several animal transports pass daily, loaded with hundreds of pigs on their way to slaughter. Most of these animals have never been outdoors.
“This is what makes this place so special,” shares Michelle. “People who drive by on the expressway almost twist their necks to see two full-grown pigs running freely in the field.”
This scene is indeed extremely rare. Not only is Malvadal one of the few sanctuaries in the entire country, but only 2 percent of farms producing pork meat raise pigs outdoors.
By visiting Malvadal, people make the connection between the pigs being transported to slaughter and the two pigs they are giving belly rubs to.
“After spending some hours with the boys, I’ve had many people leave the sanctuary saying they will never eat or feed their children pork again,” shares Michelle.
Animal transport drivers have even visited from time to time and helped Michelle build necessary structures for the animals. This gives drivers the opportunity to get to know the pigs and their unique personalities — not just as products to be delivered on a tight schedule from farm to slaughterhouse.
“I want this to be a place where workers from the industry feel welcome and animal rights activists can spend time with the animals to heal from all the trauma they have witnessed in the industry,” says Michelle.
She feels it’s important to build bridges, not exclude anyone, whether they work as farmers, slaughterhouse workers, or animal transport drivers. The goal is to connect human animals with non-human animals.
While Malvadal Sanctuary offers the potential for connection, education, and changing people’s perspectives about pigs and farm animals, it is not without its challenges.
Beyond the daily costs for animal feed, care, maintenance, and mortgage, the local municipality has implemented a new watering system in the village. This means that all homeowners are now responsible for paying 200,000 SEK (approximately $20,000 USD) for the system to be updated on their property by early 2025.
This leaves Michelle with a significant challenge to raise the necessary funds. The sanctuary is registered under its own organization and has monthly members who contribute the equivalent of ten dollars a month to support its ongoing expenses. Michelle also sells paintings of the pigs and other animals, as well as keychains and coffee mugs, for one-time donations.
“If I must, I will find a way to relocate with the animals, but I cannot give up this place. There couldn’t be a better location. We are supposed to be here, showing all people in the local community how to come together around the animals,” says Michelle.
If the sanctuary can overcome this expense, there are plans to create a bed and breakfast for the spring and summer. This would help further support the sanctuary and offer guests a chance to stay, volunteer, and spend time with the animals. While Otto and Noah are the stars of the place; four mini pigs, seven rabbits, four horses, a dog, and a cat are also cared for at Malvadal.
Having been open for over three years now, Malvadal demonstrates the lack of support for farm animals outside the industry.
When pigs get sick, the help they receive usually comes from vets who work within animal agriculture and slaughterhouses. There is little opportunity or support for pigs to roam freely without the incentive of being turned into a product for sale.
An animal transport driver reached out to Michelle a while ago about taking in his pet pigs, as he could no longer care for them. This would allow the pigs to avoid being sent to slaughter. Without the sanctuary, this option would not even be possible.
Otto, Noah, Teo, and all the other animals living peacefully in the south of Sweden have not only been saved from the animal industry, but they are also opening the doors to the possibility of reconciling the ambiguous relationship we humans have with farm animals.
They show us that we can nurture without exploitation, heal without inflicting further pain, and most of all, create an unconditional, caring relationship with farm animals beyond the products on our plates.
During a recent visit to the Swedish sanctuary, volunteers worked an entire day building fences to extend a larger area for the pigs. Otto and Noah were released to explore the new field the following Sunday.
It took Michelle 45 minutes to convince the boys that crossing into this additional territory was completely safe. When the two pigs finally did, they ran with joy.
In the process, Michelle shared, “This is a representation of our mental barriers in life — to cross over our own mental barriers as humans and explore new ways of perceiving.”
We can all learn from farm animals’ behaviors; this is why it is so crucial to keep sanctuaries like Malvadal open.
Support Malvadal GrisFristad’s campaign to stay open via PayPal. Visit their website, and follow the sanctuary on Instagram and Facebook.
Clément Martz is a documentary photographer and photojournalist focusing on sentience and social issues. Connect with Clément on his website and Instagram.
