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NordGen and The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands join forces

Date: 2019.07.15

Chilly winds and lots of rain. Green fields, uncountable numbers of sheep and the most wonderful views. The Faroe Islands is an exciting place. The new cooperation project initiated by NordGen and The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands is almost equally exciting.

It’s hardly the summer temperatures we’re used to in Sweden when NordGen’s greenhouse technician Hulda Götmark arrives in The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands in the outskirts of Torshavn. Rather, the raincoat seems like a good choice for today’s outfit.

– I’ve come here to help choose, plant and advice on plants that can thrive inside and around the Nordic House. The plants I’ve chosen are species that I believe can survive and deliver yield in the Faroe Islands given the short growing season, the low temperatures, the rain and heavy wind, she says.

During the three days spent in the Faroe Islands, Hulda Götmark and the staff of the Nordic House, sowed and planted radish, green kale, turnip, swede, peas, orache, chard, lettuce, dill, parsley, welsh onion, oregano and thyme. Everything was sown or planted in pallet rims, some with plastic lids which will provide shelter and higher temperatures.

Promotes culture

The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands promotes the culture life in the 18 islands east of Iceland and connects it with the culture in the rest of the Nordic countries. The building itself is a beautiful construction of glass, granit and with grass on the roof. Here, the visitors can find a dance hall, an atrium and an aula for 400 people. In the building, the restaurant Systrar is also situated. The edible plants, planted by NordGen, are meant to be used in the restaurants menu.

Amazing start

– We find this project with NordGen very exciting. It adds an extra dimension to our work with culture, one that examines our Nordic inheritance of crop cultivation. Hulda coming here and helping us with the gardening is an amazing start of our collaboration. This is a collaboration we hope to evolve further in the future, says Gunn Hernes, CEO of The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands.

And the CEO of NordGen, Lise Lykke Steffensen, agrees.

– For NordGen it’s important to maintain good cooperation with several different actors in the Faroe Islands. We conserve seeds from the islands, we have contributed to a conservation plan for the nearly extinct Faroe Pony and now we’re looking forward to spread the knowledge of genetic and biological diversity through the Nordic House. It is an truly inspiring journey we stand before, she says.

Gunn Hernes och Hulda Götmark planting edible plans in pall rims outside of the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands.