Tag Archives: Sweden

PROMOTING PERENNIAL VEGETABLES IN THE SWEDISH FOOD SUPPLY

In recent years, vegetable growers have started to open their eyes to perennial vegetables and quite a few are growing several types. Many more growers are curious and interested, but haven’t got started yet.
Now you can download the report put together by Eva Johansson, Annevi Sjöberg and Johanna Karlén through visits and interviews with growers of perennial vegetables all over the Nordics, including my 3 gardens in Trondheim / Malvik in June.
See https://perennagronsaker.se and click on the link! NB! In Swedish!
(Nice that the Onion Garden Chicago made the front page!)



Promoting Perennial Vegetables seminar

Earlier this summer (23rd May; https://www.edimentals.com/blog/?p=31209) I spent a great few hours together with Eva Johansson and Annevi Sjöberg from Sweden in my 3 gardens. They were on a fact-finding mission in connection with the project ”Främja fleråriga grönsaker i svensk matförsörjning” (Promoting perennial vegetables in the Swedish food supply). Link to my blog post in comments.
Everyone can now take part via zoom in a one-day seminar on this topic by signing up here (it’s free and some of the talks are in English!): https://perennagronsaker.se/seminarium-framja-flerariga-gronsaker-i-svensk-matproduktion-16-oktober
The project is financed with funds from the Swedish Agency for Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) within the framework of the Swedish food strategy (den svenska livsmedelsstrategin) and runs until Dec 2023. The Skillebyholm Foundation manages the project.
As usual, Sweden is way ahead of Norway with innovation!

Barstow’s Lund near Lund

I was just sent this picture from my visit to Holma Forest Garden in Southern Sweden <3 (https://www.facebook.com/SkogstradgardensVanner) on 1st September 2017….. I am very happy to be greeting the sign of Barstow’s Lund for the very first time….Lund means “Copse or small wood” in Swedish and they have planted as many as possible of the plants in my book in this part of this the oldest forest garden in Sweden! Holma is next to a small place with the wonderful name Höör which isn’t far from the city of Lund, so this is Barstow’s Lund near Lund….
For English speakers Lund is pronounced “Loond” as in loony ;)

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Visiting the Koster Islands

Really looking forward to visiting the beautiful tranquil Koster Islands again at the end of April and Helena von Bothmer‘s permaculture centre and gardens there.  See the following FB event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1567806430183747

Here are a few pictures from my last trip two years ago, just for a visit…
More about the Koster Islands here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koster_Islands

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North Koster

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The unmanned ferry between North and South Koster

 

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The local “talent”… checking that her husband’s not on his way back from fishing?

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Wild Apple in flower?

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Our stop on the Strømstad to Koster ferry

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The Early Purple Orchids (Orchis mascula) were beautiful! There are several species of orchid on the islands.

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Primula veris / Cowslip / Marinøkleblom in flower

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Blackthorn / Slåpetorn

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Bohuslän-Dals svarthöna, an old race that were apparently brought to Sweden from Mozambique in the 1600s (http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohuslän-Dals_svarthöna )

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Magnificent fig / fiken

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Figs / Fiken

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Rotekte..comes true from shoots

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Galinsoga parviflora is edible although I’ve yet to try it

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Wonderful site of many edible annual opportunistic plants (aka weeds) “intercropped” with squash….increasing the total yield significantly

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Helena von Bothmer amongst the perennials sales plants…

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Planting parsley on a raised bed; notice the luxurious crop of ground elder / Skvallerkål / Kirskål ready to harvest on the right

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Beautiful pond…..Helena has plans to develop an area of marginal edible water plants!

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Medlar / Ekte Mispel with masses of flower buds, this will be beautiful in a couple of weeks..

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Lonicera edulis / Haskap / Blåleddved in the new Forest Garden

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Lisbeth Svendsen from Hvaler explains a method to protect tree roots against voles / jordrotter

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Typha, the supermarket of the swamps!!

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Bocking 14 Comfrey / Valurt…I visited the Bocking research grounds (HDRA) in Essex, England in 1979!!

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Wool mulch!!

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Excellent large greenhouse for producing food for the restaurant!!

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Guldkannan literally means “Gold can” …guess what it’s used to collect ;)

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Helena von Bothmer with Lisbeth Svendsen and daughter Nina from Hvaler…

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Arriving back on the mainland….where I did my first Harryhandel (a slightly derogatory term for trips made by Norwegians over the border to Sweden to buy cheaper food and alcohol….Ours was an Økoharrytur (Organic food is also a lot cheaper and more is available in Sweden).

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