HAUGER FARM
A farm with a vision for the future
Sylva purchased Hauger Farm in May 2024 to serve as the headquarters for our operations and to carry out our research and pilot projects.
The farm is beautifully located by the Oslofjord and was once a well-run and impressive estate. As the picture shows, the farm today bears the marks of decades of neglect. In a few years, it will once again shine in its former glory.
In addition to being Sylva’s home base, Hauger Farm will become a place for everyone. The farm will be full of life, both in the forest, on the fields, and in all the houses and cabins. Vestby Hiking Association and the Follo branch of the Nature Conservation Society will have their headquarters here. The farm manager will live on site. The operation will create many jobs for people from all walks of life. Our collaboration with volunteers to promote hiking enjoyment, preserve and make historical sites accessible, and develop the natural forest adds an extra dimension and lots of joy. In a few years, Hauger Farm will be an open visitor farm with plenty of animals and activities. There will also be a farm shop and a place to enjoy local food.
Geir Førre
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Never before has humanity faced challenges this great. Each on its own, the climate crisis, the nature crisis, and the inequality crisis are enormous challenges. Together and happening at the same time, they are nearly impossible to solve. But we cannot give up!
As a founder, entrepreneur, and investor, I have spent my adult life building technology companies. They create technology for a better world, whether it is energy efficiency for buildings, green hydrogen, sustainable food production, or nature-based carbon capture.
Sylva is an example of this, just in a slightly different way and with a broader societal perspective both globally and locally. In addition to developing new knowledge and methods for future-oriented agriculture, including forestry and farming, we will also create jobs for people who currently face exclusion. Together with local enthusiasts, we will make our forests more resilient, rich in biodiversity, and an even more attractive place for hikes for people of all ages. We will manage the forests ourselves, following the new methods we develop. The land will be managed in close cooperation with those who practice sustainable and forward-thinking farming.
Both the forest and the farm will be full of life and a welcoming place for animals and people alike. Hauger Farm will become an open visitor farm with many kinds of animals, food service using ingredients from the farm, and various experiences. What we do at Hauger Farm will help give ourselves and others renewed hope for the future.
For Sylva to carry out all of this, we need a place to be and a place to conduct research and pilot projects. According to Norwegian agricultural policy, there must be especially strong reasons for a limited company to be granted permission to own agricultural property. Sylva agrees with this. We have experienced strong political support for Sylva among local politicians in Vestby, but it is not the local democracy that decides on a permission application when the buyer is a limited company. The first instance to handle our application is the County Governor of Østfold, Buskerud, Oslo, and Akershus. They have rejected the application with the main reason being:
"Granting permission to Sylva AS to acquire the property is therefore, in our view, not compatible with ownership and usage conditions that are most beneficial for society."
Make sense of that if you can...Our appeal against the rejection is now being reviewed by the Norwegian Agriculture Agency. We hope the agency will look beyond the usual, show courage, and see what we see; namely that there are especially strong reasons to grant Sylva permission to buy Hauger Farm and that this is truly great for society.
Geir Førre
Primus motor
Januar, 2025
