Farming

The production on our farm is based on local traditions and modern ecological principles :

  In our part of Norway large areas of productive forest  dominate the landscape. The farms are rather small, 5 – 500 ha, 90 % of their  total amount of land often consists of forest. The cultivated farmland is most often used for production of grass, which is dried and used as winter food for  sheep, goats, cattle and horses.

 During the summer domestic animals are let out in the forest and the mountain areas to feed.

Farms located near the grain-producing districts, traditionally also kept pigs and poultry, and game meat, timber  and fur skins were exchanged with grain.

Long and cold winters and lack of flat , suitable land makes farming in Norway more difficult and far less intensive compared to Central European conditions. However, what we lack in quantity, we gain in quality:

Meat from slowly growing free range animals is incomparable, concerning taste, structure and nutrition value, to meat from modern ”animal factories”, where the main issue is to produce large amounts of cheap meat within minimum time rate. Welfare of  animals and nutrition value of the meat does not seem to be actual issues.

The vicious results of this trend can no longer be hidden: BSE, malnutrition, food intolerance……

On our farm we have chosen to keep up the local agricultural traditions, which are highly compatible with modern standards of ecological farming, which main issues are that each farm should be a self sufficient unit to a largest possible extent, further is no use  of chemicals or hormones acceptable, neither are animal ingredients in the food of ruminants, or artificial manure.

Another main issue is welfare of domestic animals, - it means considering  their basic needs:  sufficient space for motion and social activities and free access to natural food.

The number and kinds of animals on the farm depends on available  feeding resources in the environment.
 

 Booking / info:

Midtskogen Gård, Post: 2411 Elverum, Norway

Telefon: ( +47 ) 624 17594 E - mail: eva-av@online.no