HAUGER FARM

Our Vision and Dream for Sylva and Hauger Farm

This, along with all the images below, is created from our dreams combined with Adobe Firefly’s technology.

The Forest

Natural Forest

In Sylva’s forestry method, 50 percent of the forest is set aside as natural forest, where both biodiversity and continuous carbon capture are the main goals. Sylva has collaborated with the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature and NMBU in selecting which parts of the forest are designated as natural forest. The Vestby hiking association has also contributed to this work to ensure the richest possible experience for hikers.

Climate Forest

Half of the Sylva forest is managed with maximum intensity. The sole focus here is maximum timber production, maximum CO2 uptake, and generating as much surplus biomass as possible to be stored in Sylva’s carbon chambers.

Sylva Plank

Sylva collaborates with a local sawmill to produce Sylva plank. The products are sold through Mestergruppen’s retail stores at a price 30% higher than products of comparable quality.

Carbon Chambers

Sylva has already built its first carbon chamber and is on track to create the first megachamber designed to store 100,000 tons of CO2 equivalents. Sylva sells voluntary carbon credits on Noora’s marketplace to large companies aiming to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2030. Currently, the price is 2,500 Norwegian kroner per ton of CO2. Once the landfill is completed, Eijos AS will use the area on top as an extension of their wine and cider orchard.

Small Tree Production

In Sylva’s forestry method, 60-centimeter-tall trees are planted in the planting area to give the forest a seven-year head start in growth compared to traditional forestry. This also eliminates the need for clearing undergrowth, as the spruce gains an advantage over the birch. The trees are grown on parts of the cultivated land at Hauger Farm.

Forestry operations

Thorbjørn leads the forestry department, which has eight permanent employees. In addition, three young people are always involved with the forestry work. After a logging area is clear-cut, all surplus biomass is collected, chipped, and transported to one of Sylva’s carbon chambers for long-term storage.

JAAS - Juletre As A Service

Eline and Marit have received help from Marit’s father, Olav, who grows Christmas trees under the power lines. They offer choose-and-cut Christmas trees as part of Hauger Farm’s Christmas market, and they also rent out potted Christmas trees delivered to and picked up from customers’ doors. The potted trees are used as Christmas trees up to five times before they become too large and are finally planted as climate trees in the Sylva forest. The JAAS service has become so popular that it now provides a significant income for Eline and Marit. Retirees help with delivery and pickup of trees in December and January.

The Farm

The Main House

The main house has been restored to its former glory. Today, it is home to Geir and Birgitte but will be taken over by their son Erik when he completes his agronomy studies at NMBU. The house is large enough to also serve as a meeting and conference venue.

Workshop and Machine Garage

Trine is the machine and workshop manager in the machine garage and workshop in the barn. She is assisted by Øyvind, one of the young people working at Sylva.

Grønnvold

At Grønnvold lives Finn, the farm manager at Hauger Farm. Finn has been through some difficult years when he was close to receiving disability benefits. The job at Hauger Farm became a fresh start in life for Finn.

The Headquarter

Vestby Hiking Association and the Follo branch of the Nature Conservation Society have helped build Bryggerhuset and use it as their headquarters. From here, they also organize volunteer retirees who contribute to Sylva’s activities. Many of these retirees have become mentors for young people who have found a fresh start in life after nearly falling out of society. The youth work in both forestry and agriculture, as well as receiving practical training in crafts.

Flowers and Farmshop

Eline and Marit are hardworking and have also started growing flowers in one of the old outbuildings on the farm. In the autumn, they organize flower arranging courses. On weekends, they run the farm shop at Hauger, which has become very popular among visitors. The shop also sells cider and apple juice produced by Eijos, as well as meat products and eggs from Håvard and Kristine.

The Brewery House

Eline and Marit live in the northern part of the Brewery House. The building also houses the farm shop and the local bistro. The second floor contains Sylva’s offices, where six researchers and three administrative staff work. The team is led by Kathrine, who has many years of research experience from NMBU and Nibio.

The Cabins

Midtre Brånen is one of eight cabins at Hauger Farm. Two of the cabins are lent free of charge to families with children who cannot afford a vacation for six weeks of the summer holiday (one week per family). This is organized in cooperation with the Red Cross. The other cabins are rented out on fixed-term leases.

Food & Wine

Beef Production

Håvard and Kristine lease parts of the infield at Hauger Farm and have built a new barn specialized for outdoor cattle farming. They work closely with Monil AS, which develops solutions for virtual fencing. Håvard is also collaborating with Nibio on a project to find new grazing patterns that optimize grass production and carbon uptake in the soil. Their meat products are sold in the farm shop.

Pigs in the Forest

In addition to cattle farming, Håvard and Kristine raise 100 woolly pigs in the forest. They stay outside all year round. In the fall, before slaughter time, Kristine collects two tons of acorns from Atle’s forest at Tørfest so that the Christmas pork gets the nutty flavor the pigs in Sylva’s forest are known for.

Vegetable Production

Eline and Marit lease parts of the farmland and grow high-quality vegetables that are sold to restaurants in the Eastern Norway region. Their products are also available in the farm shop. One day a week during the season, Eline and Marit welcome children from kindergartens in Vestby to try their hand at gardening.

Hens are Pretty Great Animals

Free-range hens always belong on a farm. Kristine and Håvard have 50 hens wandering around the farmyard. The eggs are sold to the café, and the rest get a chance to roam freely at the farm shop.

Regenerative Vineyard

Josef, Eivind, and Sarah are three siblings from Voss who grow wine and cider based on regenerative farming in their company Eijos AS. They have already cultivated 50 hectares on a former clear-cut area in Sylva’s forest and plan to sell 10,000 bottles of wine, cider, and juice annually within a few years (by 2027).

Wine & Cider

Eijos uses parts of the barn for wine and cider production. In addition, they offer pressing services for private individuals so they can make apple juice from their own garden apples.

The Farm Shop

Eline and Marit run the farm shop at Hauger. It has become very popular among visitors to the farm. Here, cider and apple juice produced by Eijos are also sold, as well as the meat products and eggs from Håvard and Kristine.

Activities

Viking Heritage Site

In the Sylva forest near Hauger Farm, there is an ancient Viking Age monument that Vestby municipality and Sylva have made accessible to the public in collaboration. Today, it is a popular excursion destination where children learn about everyday life during the Viking Age.

Goats

The four billy goats — William Balder, Mini Todd, Einar Bruse, and The Boss Baba — have summer jobs at the Iron Age farm at Tørfest, where they help maintain the cultural landscape. During the winter, they are a permanent feature at Hauger Gård, bringing joy to the farm's visitors. The local hiking and heritage association in Vestby is responsible for the goats' daily care.

Campsite

The trail group and Sylva have jointly established several designated campsites in the forest. Here, hikers can freely use pre-cut firewood and are also welcome to set up tents if they wish.

The Youths

A central part of Sylva's operations is to engage young people, in collaboration with, among others, NAV, who struggle with traditional schooling. At Sylva, they are offered varied work tailored to their interests. Several of these young people have secured permanent employment at Sylva, and even more have obtained jobs with other companies in Vestby.

Collaboration with the Trail Group

Sylva has worked closely with the trail group on the development and maintenance of the Sylva Forest's many forest roads and trails.

Information about the Climate- and Nature Crisis

In the Sylva Forest, children and adults learn about the climate and nature crisis, and what we can all do in our daily lives to help secure a sustainable future. This educational work is carried out in collaboration with the trail group.

Friday Meetup

Every Friday, Sylva hosts a Friday lunch in the Sylva Forest at one of the forest's many campsites. Both Sylva employees and volunteers take part. Guests are often invited, and last Friday, the mayor of Vestby got to taste the Christmas pork from the forest-raised wool pigs at Hauger Farm.

Barn Party

The second floor of the barn has been converted into a concert and event venue. Intimate concerts are held here several times a year. Last Saturday, the place was packed when Vamp performed. The venue is also available for rent for weddings and confirmations.

Open Farm

Every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year, Hauger Farm hosts Open Farm days, attracting hundreds of children and adults each weekend. Visitors greet the animals cared for by Håvard and Kristine, enjoy the café run by Eline and Marit, and take home products from the farm shop.

Christmas at Hauger Farm

The Christmas market at Hauger has become Vestby’s most popular event in December. Here, people buy Christmas trees, wreaths, and all the other items available in the farm shop. The most popular event of all is the Christmas elf walk in the Sylva Forest, where visitors search for the very forest elf himself.

The World’s Cutest Sheep

Håvard and Kristine are exploring the possibility of acquiring a flock of the rare Valais Blacknose sheep. They are skilled landscape managers with a gentle temperament. Besides being incredibly cute, they require little work and produce high-quality wool and meat. We are sold!

DISCLAIMER

Can the Dream Become Reality?

Even though the content on this page is a fictional portrayal of how we envision Hauger Farm's future, we hope it can become a reality if Sylva is granted permission to purchase the farm and breathe new life into it. It’s worth noting that several of the activities are based on real facts. Sylva is already engaged in nature-based carbon capture and storage. The fields are managed in collaboration with Dyster Gård, which runs sustainable meat production with its own farm slaughterhouse and sales outlet. This cooperation is likely to expand soon with infrastructure being built at Hauger for year-round operations. Monil is already testing its virtual fencing on Dyster Gård’s animals. Eijos’ vineyard is completed, and the goats are already settled in the forest. Cooperation agreements with the Hiking Association, the Historical Society, and the Nature Conservation Association are in place. Friday lunches in the forest have been organized several times. The first high school students will begin internships in spring 2025. And it doesn’t stop here!