By eevenden
One of the biggest questions I had before coming to Iceland was “what is the food like?”
From books, the only native Icelandic fruits and vegetables I’d heard of were moss and “scurveywart” (a shrubby plant with lots of vitamin C). Otherwise, the Icelandic diet has revolved a lot around goats and sheep. As a vegetarian, this was not a very promising sign.
It may surprise many to learn that Icelandic life depended heavily on farming up until 100 years ago. Many Icelandic people I have met here still have roots to farms today - perhaps their grandparent still live on their family farm or now they use it as a summer house. Today, Iceland imports a lot of food - especially produce - from continental Europe and the South America, but not all of it. So, it still begs the questions how and what are farmers growing here?
When Norse settlers arrived in Iceland in the year 1000, they immediately set up a farming community. There were very few towns in Medieval Iceland, and much the societal structure was based around individual homesteads and the family and employees who worked there.
Norse farmers originally brought a lot of livestock to Iceland, including sheep, cattle, horses, and goats. Many of the livestock breeds which arrived with the settlers can still be found on Icelandic farms today. Back then, sheep were especially valued because they could graze outside during the winter and provide wool and sustenance. Farmers at this time also grew different grains, mostly as fodder for their animals. Since farming primarily took place during the summer months in Iceland, farmers had little to do during the winter except survive. Often during January and February, men would leave their families and farms for an annual “hunt” to catch fish. For centuries, this lifestyle of Icelanders remained unchanged.
In the beginning of the 20th century, cattle became increasingly popular for farmers, as well as poultry and pigs. Today, Iceland is self-sufficient in its meat, dairy, and egg production. Since the settlement, Icelanders have also brought many European livestock breeds to the island. However, one breed remains distinctly protected: the Icelandic Horse. Small, bulky, and very strong, the Icelandic horse is very recognizable – and you will see many of them if you drive around the countryside. Agricultural laws surrounding horse breeds are very strict in Iceland, a.k.a. it is completely illegal to bring non-Icelandic horses to the country. This law was instated in order to protect the purity of the breed. The strictness of these laws is exemplified with Icelandic horses bred for competition. Icelandic horses which travel outside of the country to compete are not allowed to return to the country in case they bring back diseases from abroad. (Normally they are sold once they compete).
Aside from livestock, it may be difficult to imagine farming for a living on this rocky and tumultuous island. However, according to Wikipedia, some of the largest food-crops in Iceland include “potatoes, turnips, carrots, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower.” Having lived here for a few months now, this makes a lot of sense. Often fresh and frozen vegetables in the grocery store are dominated by potatoes, cauliflower, and carrots. At our orientation in January, we were served soup with potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower. It's hard to get away from it.
Other important Icelandic crops include “tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers.” Many of these plants are grown in industrial-sized greenhouses heated by geothermal energy. In some greenhouses, farmers use artificial light to supplement the plants during the short, winter days.
In addition to fresh produce, Icelandic farmers today still produce a significant amount of grass, barley, and rye which are often used as animal feed.
The greenhouses are a particularly interesting aspect of Icelandic agriculture, so I decided to look into it some more. Greenhouses are advertised by Orkustofnun, the Icelandic Energy Autority, as low-emission version of agriculture. According to their website, greenhouses began using geothermal energy in 1924. Rather than soil, the greenhouses use “inert growing media” (a mix of volcanic scoria and rhyolite) piled directly on concrete floors. To water the plants, these greenhouses are equipped with individual-plant watering systems. Additionally, the air in Icelandic greenhouses is often enriched with carbon dioxide to aid plant growth. This is done very easily since carbon dioxide is a byproduct of geothermal power plants.
There are two primary types of greenhouses in Iceland, those which grown vegetables and those which grow flowers, potted plants, and nursery plants. Approximately 50% of the greenhouse area is used for vegetables and strawberries, 26% is used for flowers and potted-plants, and 24% is used as nurseries for forest plants. (There has been a push by environmentalists in Iceland to try and expand their forests in order to stop erosion and flooding, which is probably why so many nurseries are growing forest plants).
One of the most well-known greenhouses in Iceland is Friðheimar Greenhouse near Selfoss. It is both a functioning set of greenhouses and an educational center where visitors can come to learn about greenhouse agriculture. They are especially famous for their restaurant 🙂 One of the biology classes here actually took a field trip to the greenhouse to learn more about their agriculture techniques.
That’s all I have about Icelandic agriculture. Next Thursday I am travelling to Germany, so my blog post may be a bit late. Or I might divide it into two separate blog posts, we’ll see.
-Emily
References
Agriculture in Iceland. (2017, December 12). Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Iceland
Fridheimar. (n.d.). A glimpse of life and work at Friðheimar. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from https://fridheimar.is/en
Hysmith, K. (2015, September 8). Hidden greenhouses in the Icelandic countryside grow and serve tomatoes. Boston Globe. Retrieved March 15, 2018, from https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2015/09/08/hidden-greenhouses-icelandic-countryside-grow-and-serve-tomatoes/H9ELr0WPS0PzsmznHyzlYI/story.html
Magnúsdóttir, E. E. (2018, March 5). Domestic Animals. Lecture presented in University of Iceland School of Education, Reykjavik.
Orkustofnun National Energy Authority. (n.d.). Greenhouses. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://nea.is/geothermal/direct-utilization/greenhouses/