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Tag: organic farm

  • Farm and guesthouse Bingia Bonaria

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    The farm and guesthouse Bingia Bonaria is located on the lowlands just south of the town of Pula. There, a large traditional house is situated in a garden with palms and various Mediterranean plants, making an oasis-like area in a very dry environment. This green “island” is managed by Francesca e Ercole Loi together with their son Alberto.

    In fact, the Church owned this area from the Middle ages onwards, while the Mercedari friars of the Church of Bonaria were cultivating vines here.

    Ercole told us that some time in the 1950s, the statue of the Madonna of Bonaria was brought by pilgrims from Cagliari to a farmhouse opposite to the guest house of Bingia Bonaria, a distance of about 35 km. During the whole religious feast, the statue stayed put, while pilgrims arrived more or less continuously. The name Bingia is Sardinian for vine, while the second name is taken from the statue of the Madonna of Bonaria.

    External stairs and walkways lead to rooms on the first floor of the guesthouse where guests can enjoy the view of the lovely garden from above, while below there is an ample terrace where they can stay outside in the pleasant atmosphere.

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    The sympathetic Loi family really tries to satisfy the needs of their guests within reasonable limits. Being forthcoming and available, the formal distance between owners and guests is absent. The dining room is next to the kitchen where all meals are prepared by the Loi family. However, time permitting, they also eat in the same room and at the same time as their guests. The ingredients for their meals come from the nearby sea and land. A large part of the vegetables and fruits being served comes from the garden of Ercole and Alberto, who in spite of very little rain, salty air due to a short distance to the sea and high temperatures, are able to cultivate a large variety of fruits and vegetables.

    The following fruits are grown: strawberries, figs, prunes, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, pomegranates, grapes, watermelons and melons.

    They are also cultivating tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis/courgettes, eggplants/aubergines, basil, onions, artichokes, beans, parsley and lettuce.

    Various wild, but edible plants like arugula/rocket, chicory, chard, fennel and mint also grow on their property.

    All of these products are used in the kitchen for preparing dishes like salads and jams.

    Alberto kindly showed us how to make a cleft graft using a shoot of apricot, which needs to be made more resistant against diseases, and a robust plum tree. Since he’s only making grafts in spring, he opened a graft which had failed where a branch of the plum tree had been sawn off and a cut had been made. He inserted the shoot in the cut and told us that he would have embedded both the branch and the shoot in a piece of clay in order to protect both against bad weather and keeping the graft humid. Finally, he would have attached the graft tightly by means of a band of raffia fibers.

    Having stayed several days at this lovely place and met so much hospitality, we said goodbye to Francesca and Ercole. Alberto, who had showed us the way to the Vargiu goat farm  and even given us a ride back to Bingia Bonaria.

    We just have to say a heartfelt thank you to all members of the Loi family.

  • The Cizmas farm

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    After having left Sighisoara on the way to Brasov, we turned left and arrived soon after at the organic farm of Dan and Tincuta Cizmas in the village of Topa.

    We were met by Dan Cismas, who invited us to enter a room where he and his wife Tincuta display some of their products, like jams and herbal teas. The jams were in hexagonal glasses, while the herbal teas were packed in plastic bags with labels made by Tincuta’s cousin.

    Their farm is certified as an organic farm and having 34 hectares of land is enough for self sufficiency. Dan said that the locals only cultivated corn and potatoes, but he wanted to be a model farmer for other people in the village and he said that if you intend to have an organic farm you need to constantly improve your way of farming and always be willing to try something new. His goal is to make farmers running conventional farms to convert to organic farming.

    The family has 4 children, two sons and two daughters, and his youngest son repairs their tractors and other machines.

    The family also cultivates one hectare of Damask roses, renowned for their fine fragrance,  in order to make jam and tea. Dan proudly told my guide that 25 % of income from the farm comes from rose jam.

    They collect many medicinal herbs for tea and they are also growing vegetables in greenhouses. They sell their products in Bucharest and Brasov where they have 20 families to which they deliver jam and tea once a week.

    They have 15 cows and a few goats from which they get milk. Three times a week they deliver milk and cheese to families in Sighisoara, and they deliver milk twice weekly to select families in the village of Topa.

    The Cismas family produces 4 to 5 types of cheese, among others a cheese called telemea – salted cheese with herbs. The family cooperates with other organic producers like beekeepers from the village of Topa, and Dan barters milk and cheese for honey.

    They have two solar-powered driers and a big one with electrical power where they dry herbs for herbal teas, but also vegetables that are cut in small pieces and mixed with salt.

    Dan has been co-president of Eco Ruralis, the national association for small-scale organic and traditional farmers, and he’s doing all he can to prevent landgrabbing in Romania.

    The family receives extra subsidies for organic farming. They also have volunteers from many countries who stay at their farm for some months in order to help them.

    Here is an article about the farm.

  • The Schuster farm

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    We went to another Saxon village called Mosna in order to visit Lavinia and Willy Schuster. Willy Schuster is one of the Saxons who has decided to stay in Romania instead of going to Germany after the fall of communism, while Lavinia is Romanian.

    Having entered their kitchen, Lavinia started preparing a large selection of cheese for us. In addition, their children were entering and exiting and guests were arriving. A French volunteer also arrived in need of a break. A lively place, indeed.

    Having cut up several types of cheeses and rolled some of them on plates filled with dried herbs like oregano, red pepper and basil, we were served a tray covered with various types of delicious cheese together with homemade jam.

    Having 6 cows which are milked manually twice a day, they make cheese and other dairy products daily as shown below:

    • low fat cream cheese
    • cream cheese with herbs, red pepper or horseradish
    • cream cheese with different fruits or berries
    • raw milk cheese with herbs – naturally aged in an old basement
    • fresh cream, homemade yogurt, cottage cheese
    • herbs and teas

    After some time, Lavinia’s husband, Willy. also arrived. He had brought his cows inside their barn because they were constantly attacked by large insects.

    We were told that they bought the more or less rundown farm in the early 1990’s and had their farm certified as organic in 1999.

    After lunch we walked to their barn where 6 cows and one horse were living. Walking barefoot into the barn, walking on a far from clean floor, Willy used a pitchfork to bring some hay to the cows which stood up immediately in order to eat. To our surprise, but not to his, one of the cows pushed the other ones aside, then started eating. We were told that there was a hierarchy among the cows where one of them obviously was the boss. One of the cows didn’t even go to eat, maybe because she was the lowest-ranking one.

    Interestingly, Willy started sweeping hay on the floor towards the cows and it seemed like the dust which was made by the sweeping didn’t affect them at all. We were told that he had learned it from an old farmer and that sweeping the hay led to that the cows would get hold of more nutritious stuff.

    Last but not least, Willy has been vice president of Eco Ruralis, a grassroots society for small-scale farmers in Romania. Both Willy and Lavinia are very active regarding fighting for agriculture which treats the earth like it was a gift, staying in touch with small-scale farmers and trying to affect the agricultural policy of the EU.

    This farm accepts volunteers from April to October as described here.

  • Capodarco agriculture

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    Having arrived at Colonna, where one part of Capodarco Agriculture is situated, at 7 in the morning. Roberto, a man in his fifties, willingly showed us around their farm.

    Apart from occasionally talking to some of the workers, he gave us his full attention, showing us their plastic greenhouses where two workers were cutting salads manually, the fields were they were growing vegetables like artichokes and strawberries which were cultivated both in greenhouses and outside.

    We were also shown their olive grove where large mounds of compost had been transported. The compost had been obtained from their own fields, from pruning of their vines and olive trees and so on.

    Since Capodarco Agriculture is located at both Colonna and Grottaferrata, we had to drive round Frascati in order to reach their “headquarters” at Grottaferrata. Having passed more or less urban areas for some time, it was really nice to come to a well-tended farm, being met by a group of donkeys at the parking space. Being shown around by Roberto again, we were also shown their goats, ducks and rabbits, besides their large flock of free-ranging chickens.

    In addition to some office space, they have a large restaurant, which was originally a stable. The restaurant’s kitchen is based on three fundamental principles: maintaining local traditions, serving fruits and vegs in accordance with their growing seasons, and selecting products of prime quality. In addition to serving a wide selection of vegetables and fruits, they also have a variety of meat courses served with their own wines. Moreover, they are preparing typical desserts from the Castelli Romani, the area where Capodarco Agriculture is placed.

    A well-furnished farm shop located next to the restaurant is selling the cooperative’s own organic products together with the same from local farmers.

    According to their web site, Capodarco cooperative has the following main activities:

    • cultivation of vegetables, vines and olives
    • marketing and distributing organic products
    • restaurant,catering and organizing events
    • practicing social farming

    Social farming enables disadvantaged people, like ethnic minorities, ex-convicts, former drug addicts, disabled people (especially mentally deficient) and so on, to do meaningful work. Being in contact with the farmers and their plants and animals together with being given and entrusted specific responsibilities are certainly enriching their lives.

    Last, but not least, it should be mentioned that the cooperative is also raising bees, having about 200 beehives spread around the Castelli Romani. The honey obtained from the bees is sold without adding preservatives or any other substances.

  • Vestre Bjølsund farm shop

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    Gro Lunde is running a farm shop centrally located along the road called 118 between Moss and Råde, in the commune of Rygge and the county of Østfold. Rygge is located on an end moraine with very fertile soil and a benign microclimate, making Rygge together with areas like Lier, Toten and Jæren providing large parts of Norway with food.

    The selection in the farm shop consists of products cultivated at their own farm in addition to locally grown products like vegetables, fruits, berries where all products are marked from where they come. Moreover, they have an abundant selection of free recipes. Don’t be fooled by the minimalist web site and go to Rygge where you you can buy food of exquisite quality, and you can talk to Gro Lunde about food from soil to table. She’s very conscious regarding food and she has many thoughts about production of food, cooking and disposal of leftovers.

    I could certainly have been there much longer, but during the two hours I stayed there, she said that we eat too little hen and too much chicken meat, she prefers to cook from the ground up, she always tries to avoid throwing food in the garbage, her husband can taste the difference between potatoes which have been grown on two different fields, eggs are edible much longer than 4 weeks, but we have to follow the EU-rules and dispose of them after 4 weeks, children with ADHD need to avoid milk, gluten, food additives and sugar, if they still make lots of noise, they can get medicines, she has a customer which she thinks buys more than she can eat, she naturally appreciates that her products are sold, but not that the customer gets rid of them afterwards, most people don’t know the real price of food [1], prices on food in supermarkets are artificial, a dinner is sufficiently prepared beforehand when mother wants to finish it when she returns from work, a farmer in Norway isn’t able to make a living if (s)he is cultivating less than 100 hectares except if the crop is labour demanding, she’s not eating food which has been sweetened, this contributes to that she can sense sweetness in foods which are known to taste sour, she wants to use parts of vegetables which are not eaten, like, for instance, the leaves and stem of cauliflower, leaves of common dandelion tastes as good as ruccola, the customers are allowed to buy one egg, a half field mustard depending on how much the customer needs, Nordic food contains lots of antioxidants and is very nutritious, we have lost lots of knowledge about food during the last two generations, we need to be able to taste the sweetness in the food we eat without adding sugar, chives has sweetness, wild cabbage can replace spinach, eat all food on the plate and buy only what you need, oregano contains more antioxidants than garlic, use the leaves and not only the tuber of fennel.

    Gro wants to start another shop next to the farm shop where she intends to sell homemade baker’s products and vegetables which are prepared for a wok, tomato soup, etc. The kitchen has to be adapted to women with, among other things, variable working height.

    She’s cultivating herbs like lemon balm and chives in a little herb garden besides Matine tomatoes, which she’s growing in a small greenhouse. The tomato plants are growing in the soil from which they are extracting their taste.

  • Ezzi Mannu farm and guest house

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    The farm is located at the extreme north west corner of Sardinia, between Porto Torres and Stintino. A wind-swept territory with a low-lying vegetation and almost completely covered with grassland and Mediterranean steppe. Only in depressions, where rainwater is collected, can the Mediterranean maquis be seen.

    Arriving at the farm at noon, we could see a tiny collection of buildings consisting of about 10 houses almost forming a semicircle, below a clear, blue sky, surrounded by the salty tang of the sea and fragrances of the Mediterranean maquis.

    Being in an arid area where it scarcely rains, meaning that it isn’t possible to use fertilizers because the long, dry periods and high temperatures will lead to that soil which has been fertilized will dry out completely. This means that only organic cultivation of the soil can be applied in this area.

    Mario Stacca, the owner of the farm, has decided to carry on the work of his ancestors who have been cultivating this land and raising cows for the last 150 years. The area of the farm has been extended several times until it now stretches to 80 hectares, but they are not adjacent meaning that a tractor is necessary for transport between the plots of land.

    Some of the plots of land are used for cultivation of cereals (wheat, barley and oats), which are partly used for feeding the cattle and partly being sold on the market.

    In order to prepare soil to house the seeds and for providing a base on which the cereals can grow, crop rotation is used, consisting of alternating the cultures which are being cultivated (every second or third year). After having planted a field with legumes and letting them grow for about 2 years, the field is ploughed, making the legumes decompose inside the soil while at the same time enriching it with nutrients like nitrogen. After a specific time, cereals are planted in the same place.

    Mario is also raising Charolaise cows for meat production. The cows are mainly eating grass, but they are also allowed to enter fields planted with cereals which have obtained a certain height. Naturally, the cows will also fertilize the soil by means of their manure.

    This young entrepreneur also wants to integrate agriculture and farm holidays with clean energy production by installing solar panels, making the farm self-sufficient with energy. He also wants to introduce electric vehicles due to the degradation of the land caused by cars driving near to his farm in summer.

  • Farm and guesthouse “Sun and Earth”

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    The “Sun and Earth” organic farm situated between Costa Paradiso and Tempo Pausania: a naturalistic island in a little visited part of Gallura.

    The small hill on which the farmhouse and the guesthouse reside, is called “Funtana d’Alzi” in Sardinian signifying “spring where alder trees are growing”. You’ll reach it by first going to Bassacutena, a tiny village, turn to the right, drive on a bumpy road until you arrive at a crossroads, turn left and go straight ahead.

    Sun and earth…two indispensable elements for sustaining life and its cycles.

    Isora and Maurizio left the city of Florence and their successful careers for their love of the earth. Their farmland consists of undulating hills delimited by a winding river in a valley where numerous alder trees are growing. A magical place where two entrepreneurs of nature have succeeded after just 5 years in making a complete organic cycle in which they form an integral part.

    Isora and Maurizio have constructed a small greenhouse in which they are growing seedlings. In this tepid environment each type of seed has a place to reside in small boxes containing soil and in which they will stay beyond germination until the seedlings are big enough to be planted outside. The seeds are selected with great care and bought from organic nurseries or cultivators, not necessarily easy to find. A large variety of vegetables are grown, like squash, legumes, aubergines, carrots, tomatoes, leeks, onions, garlic, green and red peppers, etc. A small part of the farm is reserved for for growing aromatic and medicinal herbs which are prepared by the owners after having been harvested. They have also an abundant fruit garden together with a vineyard.

    A small, engine-driven plough is used to dig up and loosen the soil in which to plant the vegetables. Then, it is enriched using both animal and plant fertilizers, the last one being obtained by composting all their plant residues. All which is produced at the farm is consumed at the same place and all the leftovers are deposited in a compost heap for about 2 years. Thus, due to fermentation and decomposition, various chemical and biological processes transform the leftovers into fertilizer which contains necessary elements for enriching the soil in which they have earlier cultivated their food.

    The major part of their products, which their land so generously provides them with, is changed into a rich variety of vegetarian courses complemented with cheeses and eggs provided by local producers together with some eggs from their own limited number of hens. Naturally, this food is meant both for the owners and their guests at the guesthouse.

  • L’Aglientu farm

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    At the foot of the mountain Casteddu, a granite ridge looming above the Mediterranean brushes, the farm l’ Aglientu is located. Here, the owners Antonella and Guido are cultivating fruits and vegetables in addition to running a small guesthouse. Both of them are working with the cultivation, while Antonella also looks after the guests. After having studied and worked with graphic design in Olbia, Guido has turned to full-time farming, putting into practice techniques and natural systems he learnt from an elder, local gardener.

    Receiving seeds from local, organic greenhouses between the end of April and the beginning of May because night frosts occurring quite often before this period can easily destroy the seedlings. They are mainly growing cauliflower, fennel, savoy cabbage, broccoli, and radishes. Their produce is sold to customers who want to know where their food is coming from and how it has been grown.

    About 10 days after having planted the seedlings, chicken manure is added. The soil consisting mainly of clay and dissolved sandstone is excellent for cultivating potatoes. In fact, due to heavy rains recently, soil and sand has been transported downwards to an olive grove, where Guido also has planted potatoes. A rotational system is employed such that various cultures are grown alternately in the same places at intervals of 3-4 years. There is a fruit garden located between the vegetable garden and the olive grove, where fruits like peaches, kiwi, cherries, plums, persimmons, pears are grown.

    Most of the fields are watered using water droplets, leading to a low use of water. Instead, the olive grove is watered by spreading the water around the olive trees since their roots are spreading out.

    Guido and Antonella are also planning to grow citrus trees in an area protected from cold, northern winds by high, dense trees. However, they also need a lot of sunshine.

    We were also shown an enclosure where they will raise pigs. Since they are great diggers, Guido had covered the inside base of the fence with lots of stones.

    The total area of the farm amounts to about 200 hectares and it is divided among various members of the Bonacossa family, meaning that the extension of the Aglientu farm is 43 hectares. Above the farm, there is meadows, mountains together with dense, Mediterranean brushes. Antonella followed us up to a meadow, from which we could see a flock of cows approaching. They are raising a race called Sarda Nera (known for its lean, rare meat) together with some Limousin cows. These animals are living outside all year, eating what they find together with some organically grown fodder.

    Lots of steep mountains are located nearby, making excellent homes for birds of prey.

     

  • The Pieri farm

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    The Pieri farm was founded in the 1830s and has been owned by the same family ever since. It is located in a lovely area stretching from near the Adriatic sea to a height of about 300 metres above sea level. We were shown around the farm by the present owner, Luigi Pieri. First we were shown their bakery where a young woman was making biscuits manually. Actually, biscuits, bread and jam are made by hand in this place, 2-3000 items annually.

    Next, we went to their wine cellar where were treated to a glass of their excellent Merlot wine straight from a storage tank. We also passed their vineyards before arriving at their olive grove where one of his employees was picking olives by means of a machine powered by a car battery. Having first put a net on the ground below the trees, he let the rotating blades of the machine touch the branches of the trees, bringing down the olives.

    The vines
    The grapes mature at different times and the harvest, which is done manually, is carried out in the following order:

    • Merlot
    • Syrah
    • Montepulciano
    • Sangiovese

    The wines

    The following wines are produced at this farm:

    • Rosso del Poggio
    • Rosso Conero Pieri Bottiglia Toscanello
    • Rosso Conero Pieri Bottiglia Bordolese
    • Rosso Conero Pieri Bottiglia Futura
    • Academus

    The olives
    The following types of olive trees are cultivated:

    • frantoio – 80%
    • leccino – 10%
    • pendolino – 10%

    Some of the characteristics of the olives are the following:

    • frantoio – large size, fruity, rather strong aftertaste
    • leccino – round shape, mild sweet flavour
    • pendolino – small size

    Since the olives aren’t able to pollinate themselves, the olive trees are mixed such that different types of olive trees are planted next to each other making bees able to pollinate them.

    The olive trees are grafted onto other specimens in order to grow well at a nursery in San Benedetto where they are sold when they have reached 3 years of age. The olive trees become productive after 12-13 years, that is, when a tree is capable of producing at least 20 kg of olives.

    Copper is used in order to limit fungous infections. As regards the olive fruit fly, which deposits eggs inside the olives, an insecticide called Rogor is used, a product which is not soluble in fat, hence it will disappear together with water and the olive residues during production of olive oil.

    Olive trees are very hardy, drought-, disease- and fire-resistant and they are well adapted to the Mediterranean climate.

    The extension of the area set aside for the olive trees is 4.5 hectares.

    Other products
    The following products are also produced:

    Cereals:

    • durum wheat
    • spelt
    • maize

    Legumes:

    • chickpea
    • lentil
    • grass pea

    Fruits:

    • peach
    • fig
    • jujube
    • tomato
    • pumpkin

  • Mercante wine farm

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    This is a family-driven wine farm where the production and storage of the wine takes place in the same house as where the Mercante family lives, and the vineyards are located next to their house. They bought a vineyard next to their property from an old farmer in 1999, assuring the new owners that the vines he had planted 20 years before were still producing grapes of optimum quality. Replacing the old vines with new Rosso Conero DOC vines the same year, they were able to produce their first full harvest in 2004.

    The philosophy of the Mercante family is always to do only what is required with the vines, leaving as much as possible to nature.

    We were shown around their combined shop and wine production premises by Adriana Mercante, the owner of the farm. They are cultivating Sangiovese and Montepulciano and they are producing red wine called Rosso Conero and rosé wine.

    The vines cover an area of about 5 hectares, and pruning is carried out by experts in winter.

    In order to counteract mildew on the vines, a powder containing sulphur and copper is used. Use of this mixture is allowed in organic farming due to the fact that it only stays on the surfaces of the vines. Before use, the powder is mixed with water and the mixture is poured into a cistern. Then, it is towed by a tractor and sprayed onto each row of vines.

    Traps containing pheromones are used in order to attract and finish off male insects, which are harmful to the vines.

    Removing herbs between the vines is done mechanically with a tractor and manually using hoes.

    The organic wine made at the farm is not filtered much: crystals, which look like sugar, occur at the bottom of each bottle, which is really a residue from calcium, a salty and natural deposit. Filtering repeatedly will remove parts of the substance of the wine.

    Different types of wines may be obtained from the same grapes as described below:

    • rosé wine – the grape skins remain for a short time in the must, which is freshly pressed grape juice that contains the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes (about 10 hours) .
    • red wine – the grape skins remain for a longer time in the must (7-15 days).

    The dregs are deposits of the vegetal materials which form sediments in the containers and is formed during fermentation, ageing and storage. They have to be destroyed according to Italian law at authorised distilleries for producing grappa in in order to avoid fraud using the dregs to produce wine by means of chemicals. The dregs are transported to a distillery in Perugia and a packing list is mandatory.

  • Ramme farm

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    Ramme farm, whose aim is to give rise an increased interaction between sustainability, environment and culture is located at Hvitsten in the county of Akershus in Norway.

    The farm has been managed organically since 1986. Many staples, like vegetables, herbs, flour, eggs, pork and beef are among the goods you can find in the farm shop.

    Farm manager Håkon Nesheim showed us around the farm. We saw organic eggs being taken from the henhouse to the farm shop, meaning that the eggs were ready for sale minutes after having been laid. A great example of shortly travelled, organic and sustainable handling of food.

    We followed Håkon to the tomato nursery where delicious organic tomatoes were being cultivated. Tasting a mature tomato brought me back to my yearly summer visits to Liguria in Italy. Here, flavour, taste, bliss and acidity were in a perfect balance. The mature tomatoes were picked and brought to the farm shop for sale every day.

    Watching the farm’s piglets playing and greeting the grown-up pigs by touching their snouts was a delightful sight. Cows, which are supplying the farm with milk, were grazing on a meadow next to the pigs’ enclosure. Neighbour and cheese producer Den Blinde Ku (The Blind Cow) also receive some of their milk from Ramme farm. Farm manager Håkon also told us that he had delivered spelt (a species of wheat) to Holli Mill which is located nearby and which we have visited earlier

    The gardeners on the farm were also working hard in order to prepare the farm for the coming weekend’s garden and early summer party. They were expecting a lot of visitors who wanted to buy bushes and perennials. Ramme farm could also offer cultural activities like watching plays being performed and listening to bands playing this weekend.

    We have watched the way from soil to table at Ramme farm, a way which has been a pleasure to follow. We recommend going there in order to spend a slow day. Leave the stress at home and take your time to enjoy watching domestic animals, nature and human beings in balance.

    In addition to cultivating organically and raising farm animals, Ramme farm is also dedicated to permaculture. Besides, they are using an ingenious way of heating the buildings by means of wood chippings and branches from their own forest. Plans for the future include a Munch gallery and a place where visitors can stay overnight is under construction. In other words, Ramme farm is continuously being developed with organic, sustainable and cultural elements well integrated in everything they are doing.

  • Horgen farm

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    We visited the farm of Trond Qvale at Horgen farm located about 50 km from Oslo in the commune of Nes in Akershus. He was proud to show us his Angus cattle which are outside all year. It started when he imported a fertilised egg and used a Norwegian cow as a surrogate mother, resulting in tens of Angus cattle in the following years.

    He began organic farming in 1989 and has been doing organic farming only from 1999. By cultivating meadow grasses and Timothy grass, the Qvale family is able to cover 90-95% of what their animals need, while they buy organic fodder from farms nearby to cover the remainder. However, depending on the yield of their own produce, they may have to buy up to 30% from other farms. Anyway, the meat of their cattle contains more nutrients and is more tasty than cattle raised on compound feed. For those who want to know more about grass-fed beef, this article is a good starting point.

    Having raised cattle for many years, Trond has learnt how to assess the weight of his cattle before they are sent to the slaughterhouse. In fact, he uses a tape measure, measuring the size of the animal across its front and back, resulting in a fairly accurate measure.

    Having departed from the conventional way of raising cattle where the goal is to let the animals grow quickly and give a lot of meat, Trond lets his animals grow slowly. By limiting the size of the cattle and only letting quiet animals have calves, they get more harmonious and the work of the farmer is easier. All breeding takes place such that births happen in spring and the calves stay with their mothers for 7-8 months before they are separated in small flocks.

    Spelt, barley for malting, oats together with wheat are also grown at this farm.

    Please see this web site for advice on grilling meat from Angus cattle.

  • Holli Mill

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    Holli mill is located in a place called Spydeberg where organically cultivated grains are ground into flour with millstones. Besides, the cereals are required to be near to the original types of grain which have not been hybridised by man.

    We paid a visit to miller Terje Nesje at his mill in Spydeberg on Saturday 18 April. After having arrived, we were invited to his office where he gave us a short lecture on cereals starting with einkorn and emmer, which were domesticated in the Fertile Crescent, corresponding to present-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and southern Turkey, about 9,000 years ago. Both einkorn and emmer are types of wheat and the latter has somehow given rise to spelt wheat through hybridisation with wild goat-grass. Source: wikipedia

    He also told us about the Finns who arrived in Norway in the 1600’s and who practised slash-and-burn agriculture. After having burnt an area of the forest, they put rye grains in their mouths in order to water them before putting them in the ground. When the grains were full-grown, they let their cows eat the grain. In this way, the cows aided in spreading the rye and fertilizing it at the same time.

    Contrary to modern wheat, spelt wheat has long roots which are able to find nutrients and water deep down, while modern wheat has short roots and is dependent on artificial irrigation and getting nutrients from fertilizers located close to its roots. In addition, spelt has a long stem making it more difficult for parasites to climb from the ground up to the ear. In spite of these positive traits, none of the aforementioned types of cereal are widely cultivated for the simple reason that they have a lower harvest than modern types of cereals. Thus, they are unfortunately grown only because more or less affluent and health-conscious people are willing to pay higher prices for flour or bread made from these types of cereals.

    Besides telling us about cereals, he also gave us a vivid description of the smell of the flours which arises when grinding the different types of cereals.

    Being concerned about teaching children about the way from cereals to bread, he sometimes visits kindergartens bringing a handheld mill. In this way, the children are shown how grains are ground into flour.

    It is a goal for the miller that the cereals he are receiving should be cultivated organically and preferably grown locally. Thus, in addition to cultivating his own cereals, he’s receiving cereals from up to 40 different farms. Before grinding, samples of the cereals are tested for humidity because there is a requirement to the highest amount of humidity. Thus, the cereals first have to be dried, before they are cleaned and then ground. When grinding, the distance between the millstones is adjusted until the smell and sound are as wanted. Of course, the grains are ground slowly and carefully in order to avoid excess heat. We have experienced something similar during roasting of coffee beans at the coffee bar of Tim Wendelboe.

    Terje Nesje learnt how to grind grain into flour from an old, now deceased, miller from a place called Sarpsborg. Since almost all flour in Norway is produced industrially, the trade of miller hardly exists any more. Thus, in order to gain experience and meet other millers, he is in touch with Swedish and Danish farmers.

    Holli mill is producing flour from the following types of cereals:

    • wheat
    • rye
    • emmer
    • barley
    • spelt

    Fortunately, the mill has a good distribution and sales to selected bakeries. Besides, it is also possible to buy flour directly from the mill and from the Sunkost food-chain in Norway.

    In the end, we were told about his pearl grain in which he has great confidence. Pearl grain is made from spelt, barley and rye and it can be cooked as rice and risotto.

  • Grøndalen farm

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    Grøndalen farm meaning the Green valley farm is being run in an organic manner, having excellent animal welfare, and producing a fromage blanc called Nýr, which is pronounced neer and can by all means replace both cream and sour cream.

    We went to Grøndalen farm in the Sørum district located about one hour drive northeast of Oslo.  We were expecting some information on running an organic farm and doing small-scale cheese production. Instead, we got much more.

    We met a farmer called Hans Arild Grøndahl with a liking for organic agriculture and animal welfare and a sense of balance in his environment. Hans Arild showed us his barn where the animals could walk around more or less freely whenever they felt like it. The most unique experience of it all was to see with our own eyes that the animals were having such a good time. In addition to being more or less free,  the newborn calves stay with their mothers for 8 weeks.

    On the contrary, it’s common practice to separate mother and child straight after birth which is certainly a traumatic experience for both of them. For the first two days after birth, cow and calf stay together separate from the other animals, while they stay together with the other ones afterwards. Even after the 8 weeks have passed, cow and calf are able to see each other across a fence.

    RELATED REPORT:
    Calf growth rate and welfare in a dairy herd with natural feeding until 6-8 weeks of age.

    This way of treating cows have gained a lot of attention, bringing visitors from lots of countries across the world in order to see what Hans Arild and his family have achieved. A short time after our visit, we were told that a research grant had been approved in order to do research, among other things, on the impact of the treatment of the animals on the milk they are making.

    A report in Norwegian describes experiences with letting cows stay with their calves.

    Fromage blanc production

    Hans Arild rents a small dairy at a vocational school close to his farm in order to produce Nýr, the fromage blanc, which is made from milk to which is added lactic acid bacteria. This leads to a unique, tasty flavour.

    Distribution

    Grøndalen gård could have sold a lot more of its fromage blanc. However, they have many of the same challenges like other small-scale producers are struggling with, like marketing and access to markets. However, we who are co-producers1 have to ask for their products at the supermarkets and spread the word as far and wide as possible.

    1. Members of Slow Food don’t call themselves consumers, but co-producers to the producers who are producing our food.