Korsvold farm is an organic farm located on one of the Hvaler islands, called Kirkøya (Church Island) in the county of Østfold.
One family got enough of the hustle and bustle in Oslo and, instead, bought a farm where they are breeding 60 sheep of the Old Norwegian Short Tail Landrace and 200 chickens of rare breeds, like Araucana, in addition to cultivating a wide range of vegetables like Chinese cucumbers, tomatoes, salads, Jerusalem artichoke, carrots, garlic, onion, pumpkin and various types of beets . They sell their products locally, to select restaurants and shops in Oslo and at farmers’ markets.
What motivates us to continue the project we call From Soil To Table, our modest contribution to drawing attention to small-scale foods and drinks producers’ splendid products, is that we never know what we are going to meet. Anyway, we have always experienced enthusiasm and excellent products, while marketing and sales are more or less demanding.
Fortunately, the family on Kirkøya already knew lots of people wanting to buy high-quality food before they moved out of town, meaning that marketing and sales wasn’t such a big challenge. Self-appointed farm-hand Dag Thorenfeldt, husband of Else Skålvoll Thorenfeldt who is the owner of the farm, is commuting more or less daily between Oslo and Hvaler bringing their produce to their customers in Oslo at the same time. He’s also continuing his work as a professional photographer since it’s difficult making a living solely running an organic farm.
We, photographer John and me, journalist Per Christian, had a pleasant talk with the Thorenfeldt couple in the farmyard this balmy June evening. It’s always inspiring to meet enthusiastic human beings who enjoy their way of life and who are overflowing with constructive ideas on how we ought to tend the soil and do sustainable production of food.
Watching the chickens was a pleasant experience, walking freely around, pecking newly strewn seeds on the ground such that it should be possible to photograph them.
A package of eggs marked Korsvold Gård contains 6 eggs in different sizes and colours having been laid by chickens, which are treated well. If you buy it, you will be supporting a diverse and healthy production of food.
The farm shop at Korsvold gård is open on Tuesdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The address is Stopp 26 on the right side of the road when you are going from Svanekil towards Korshavn. The cultural landscape is lovely, and you can talk to the farmer, have a look at the farm and the domestic animals, all of which we think give both food and meal more meaning.
In this way, you can turn yourself from being a consumer to being a co-producer.
