Species diversity in the Arctic

From Stone to Hayfield in retrospect

Our project involves reclaiming old hayfields using old knowledge. Agriculture in Eastern Finnmark gained momentum around the 1850s when the first Finns immigrated to fish in the Arctic Ocean and were allowed to cultivate the land here. In order to succeed in agriculture, fencing, fertilization, and drainage were important. They found the manure at the beach, driftwood became fence posts, and stone was cleared for fence foundations. Drainage ditches were made in marshes and damp ground.

Skallelv is a small village by the Arctic Ocean. An arctic-alpine climate offers short summers and long winters. The midnight sun helps plants survive a short summer. Mountain flora grows down by the beach.

In Skallelv and Varanger we find the same plant species as in eastern Siberia, the northern Arctic, and further south.

Many of these species were found in the semi-natural meadows our ancestors cultivated. It is these semi-natural meadows we want to recreate. 

To achieve this, hay must be dried on hayracks, among other things. It requires a lot of resources, so we need many hands. We hope to get you on the team "to strike a blow" for the old tradition.

Heshing is an old cultural heritage for preserving hay

The method we use to dry hay is hashing, a tradition about to be lost. Heshing was a common preservation method in Norway and in other parts of Europe until the ensiling method took over. Hashing is resource-intensive in that many hands are needed to manage to hang up the hay before the nutrient content deteriorates.

Do you want to experience Skallelv in July/August? Do you want to help learn this cultural heritage before it is lost? Do you want to experience the midnight sun, an endless horizon, a landscape where beautiful beaches and vastness meet? A social community in the hayloft, with a coffee break by the hedgerows that smell of freshly cut grass gives memories to last a lifetime. If you want to know more or be part of this, we hope to hear from you.