Anyone in Norway?

Hello.

US expat in Oslo that might be moving to either Bergen or Ski. Looking to sink roots and stay and want to meet people here that know and understand the ecosystem in Norway.

In the future looking to buy a house and would like to discuss building, growing food and alternative energy.

Thanks,
Gary

Hey!

I am based in Sweden, an hour north of Gothenburg. Hope you find some in norway!

Hello!

As far as I now the best permaculture site in Norway is Erga Gård on Jæren, south west Norway. A fellow permaculturist I recently met says that she believe Alvastien in Hardanger would be the second best. I have visited neither. The most interesting site I have visited with a permaculture perspective in Norway is the edible garden of Stephen Barstow in Malvik, easily accesible from Trondheim. This is no permaculture site, mind you, but he has so many edible perennial plants from around the world. Stephen is a wealth of knowledge, and Maddy Harland describes his upcoming book as "an ethnobotanist dream traveller log". It's well worth the trip no matter where in Norway you're from. Some of the plants will thrive even within the polar circle.

According to permaculture teacher Jan Bang, there are currently only 5 people with the permaculture diploma in Norway, but a lot of sprouting interest. This years nordic permaculture festival will be held in Norway, at Hurdal Økolandsby. Currently there isn't much permaculture out there, but there is some interesting plans and it seemes like the permaculture festival will give them a boost.

Many many sites are in development, and what we need are practice examples. Personally I just put in a 10 meter long crescent-shaped hugelkultur in a garden at Stabekk, so if anyone needs to take a look at an existing hugelkultur before putting one in themselves, just pm me.

If anyone know of any site that has implemented permaculture techniques worth taking a look at, please post it here.

Gary, I visited Norway with my boyfriend this past May and we liked it a lot. he's just returned for a visit--flies back tomorrow--and I have been invited back w/covered airfare if I help a friend work on his orchard on Tysnes! exciting business. now I just need to figure out when the best time to prune & plant will be for Norway. around here (USA hardiness zone 7b) we plant in late fall thru early Spring (November thru early March, depending on the flowering date of the species).

the place where I'll be working is a little homestead on a fjord; according this map, the whole southwestern coast of Norway is zone 8. could that be? I know it gets those warm atlantic waters & currents but man, I have a hard time believing the average minimum temp is just ~15 degrees F!

anyway, I'm reviving this conversation as I'll be thinking all about Norwegian permaculture for the next few months...

Eivind, I'm excited about the resources you shared.

In the end I got screwed over by a guy who hired me to start a business then hired a EU contractor to carry on the work I started. Cheaper than an employee. Despite assurances the I'd get a free lawyer and some income from the state because I was a tax payer, I got nothing and was left out to dry. Some lovely people but.....

yikes! so you remain in Oslo?

No, I'm now in Malaysia.

I have now visited Erga Gård a couple of times, and I would strongly recommend the trip in order to see the magnificent green house with a pond an small ecosystem in it, and the house with it's smart solutions. Ingvald Erga shared his time and is a great story teller.

However, I am less than impressed by their animal systems, but it's rare for permaculture sites to be permaculture-esque in every aspect. According to Ingvald, his son has gotten his eyes open for Joel Salatin, so maybe in the future Erga Gård will be the first really great example of permaculture in Norway.

edit: I mean the first REALLY great. By international standards.

In on of the big national newspapers, Dagbladet, I got to publish an article about permaculture.

Actually it is an response to an article where a CEO says that part time work is not sustainable, and that women has to work more if we are to maintain our prosperity.

http://www.dagbladet.no/2014/01/03/kultur/meninger/debattinnlegg/kronikk/debatt/31095021/

Google translate did this, and I just fixed the really whacked:

Anne - Kari Bratten , executive director of the employing organization Spectrum , makes a big mistake when she says to Dagbladet 28 December that women should work more. She says that part-time work is not sustainable for the community and that we all have to work more to ensure future prosperity. "If we do not start to work more , we fucked ," says Spectrum leader.

It is indeed easy to agree with Anne - Kari Bratten within the current paradigm , where economic growth is dependent on increased consumption. When she chooses to use the word sustainability to underpin demand , it is however difficult. In an environmental perspective, it is not sustainable to maintain current material consumption - much less increase it. To ensure the future welfare , including future generations , women must on the contrary work less . Men too , for that matter . At least those of us who have careers or consumption that contribute to the system that destroys the planet.

Everyone knows that the world is not sustainable , and that it takes more to save the world but to sort and buy organic milk. What is needed is a satisfactory alternative to the consumer society we have today. An alternative that provides a better life that is also environmentally sustainable . This option is growing, as more and more people are becoming more environmentally conscious and aware of what is healthy and ethical. If we use some of the new-found time to produce some of our own food , we contribute significantly to reducing the problems of the world . Food prices in stores are low even though the massive mono- cultures in the conventional agriculture contributes to soil erosion and soil degradation . To acquire new land to produce food on we chop down forest . That destroys plant and animal species on a large scale and is gone forever .

If Earth's future play a role in the choices we make , it fits very well choose to work less - because this means less purchasing power and lower material consumption . Bærum Permakulturforening believe in a society where working 80 percent gives more back to society than it would if you worked 100 percent. Life is short and we must prioritize. Having individual freedom to create the good life with a system that contributes to quality and quality , close to nature and family time, is an option to work more. And that saves the world.

Hi all, we are a young couple from the uk, we are living in Portugal where we are giving PDCs, we will be coming to Norway this spring to visit a family member that lives there. We are happy to coinside this trip with teaching work. Does anyone know of anyone that wants to host a course in Norway and are looking for teachers? We can give a full 12 day pdc certificated by the uk permaculture association, or small courses. Here is a our blog http://www.nurturingournature.blogspot.com that shows some of the courses we have taught on.

Good initiative. When you find a suitable place to hold it, be sure to make contact with the Norwegian association, to get a diploma holder to join the teaching.

This is the way it is done in Norway, despite original thoughts, this is Geoff Lawtons words:
A diploma in permaculture design is not needed to teach a PDC and never has been needed. All you actually need is to have taken a PDC. That is the way Bill Mollison set it, so we continuously breed new teachers.

Maybe is a better way to change it so at least PRI certified PDC teachers also can do it, but in order to make the association happy we need to comply.

Bit confused by your response, as we both have diplomas through the Uk association. Do you mean that we should have a Norwegian diplomat present so that it can be certified by the Norwegian association too? We feel both certificates are equally relevant and internationally recognised. Many of our students come to the courses from all over the world anyway, not only from the hosting country.

Well, if you have diplomas then no problem. Go for it.

Still, when you find organisers, I think the association would appreciate the organisers to make contact. This way noone will feel stepped on their toes. (But if the associaton tries to make problems, please PM me as I would personally like to know)