Biodynamics
Biodynamic farming is a holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food and nutrition through working in synchronicity with Nature. Our aim is to create a healthy soil that can support ourselves, our animals and local community with healthy food that is nutrient dense and full of life. We use a variety of herbal preparations with bio-active ingredients that help to support the soil and plants. It is an integrative system of animals, plants and humans.
The animals
In our farming practice, the ruminant animals play a central role in bringing fertility to the soil and cycling nutrients throughout the farm. They also make our land more resilient to change by improving the top soil. To grow vegetables intensively, manure is the vital component for our compost from which we grow our crops.
We maintain a resilient flock through our grazing plan. Moving the flock often makes sure they always have access health pasture. When the summer heat gets too intense the sheep move into the forest pasture where there is shade. Through our pastures the plant diversity is high and the animals can exercise their innate ability to pick out the plants with the best nutrients for their present needs.
Through this grazing method our soils will improve to hold more water and carbon. It will lower the parasite impact, and increase the nutrient value of the pasture. All contributing to healthier sheep.
We have chosen to start our animal work here with the local rare sheep breed, Gutefår. They will have the best ability to handle our biotope, since they are an ancient breed from the island and therefore well adapted to the terrain and challenging climactic changes. Next in line will be our dual-purpose hens following the sheep in mobile coops and eventually cattle.
The vegetable
In our market garden we are focusing on developing flavour and nutrition, which often go hand in hand. We have therefore selected mainly heritage varieties where this is of great importance.
Furthermore, to grow healthy crops with high nutrient density, they need healthy soil. We achieve this through improving our composting skills with the Soil Food Web system and no-dig garden beds.
In our first polytunnel we have fitted a geothermal heating system, which is powered by our solar panels. This will mean that we can grow early, frost sensitive crops in the spring and keep others maturing for longer when the Autumn comes, extending our short growing season. Cables run underneath each bed in the tunnel heating the soil from below, reminiscent of the Victorian greenhouses, but in a much more sustainable way. The heat is collected from deep in the bed rock below. A number of boreholes drilled to a depth of 200 metres are required to collect half a degree, accumulated and circulated to reach above 15 degrees in the beds. Our solar panels ensure that we are generating the power to circulate the heat in a sustainable way.
We are always interested to discuss special requests from restaurants, of particular crops to grow.
