Young farmers take epic Norway trip

Members of Shropshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (YFCs) recently had an action-packed visit to Norway. Two of the group tell Farmers Weekly about the experience.

See also: Farmers Weekly Awards 2021 – Young Farmer of the Year

Rachel Cooper

A Netflix documentary about a sled dog race provided Rachel with her flash of inspiration.

“I wanted to put together a once-in-a-lifetime trip and my mum has got a boarding kennels so I’ve always been obsessed with dogs,” recalls the 27-year-old chairwoman of Shropshire YFCs.

“Watching an episode of the show, Losers, gave me the spark of the idea.”

© Rachel Cooper

Cue lots of research and hard work, and eventually Rachel, with the help of Field Farm Tours, had a six-day visit to Norway arranged for 22 members. 

Her dream dog-sledding experience happened at Kirkenes, in the north-east of the country, near the Russian border, but the travellers flew into – and spent time in – Tromso, a city in north-west Norway, 200 miles above the Arctic circle.

Goat dairy farm

One of the highlights was seeing a goat dairy farm. “It was interesting to see how farmers have similar challenges to us in some ways, even though the landscape and weather is so different,” says Rachel.

“The goats had a good kidding percentage but, because they were French Alpines, weren’t hugely meaty, so there wasn’t a massive market for the males. It had parallels to the situation dairy farmers face in the UK.

“The farmer was considering getting some Boer to produce a meatier male kid – like putting a Belgian or an Angus onto a dairy cow so they have a bit more value.”

The group also stayed in snow pods and saw the “mesmerising” Northern Lights. The opportunity to travel is one of the benefits of joining YFC, she says.

“You get to meet fascinating people and learn about other cultures. It makes you see beyond your own situation and your own farm.”

An annual trip organised by the county chairman/woman is a longstanding tradition of Shropshire YFC, with previous destinations including Peru, China and the US. 

“I never imagined I’d be in a leadership role,” says Rachel, who has been a member of Whitchurch Club for 10 years.

“YFC is great for building your confidence. You can be from any walk of life – to be a member, you’ve just got to have an interest in making yourself a better person.”

Dog-sledding

From this week of unforgettable memories, the dog-sledding took the top spot, though. “The couple who ran the dog yard knew the names of all 140 dogs and all their histories.

“I’m fascinated by how different breeds have different instincts and how you can train them differently.

“Some of them were Alaskan huskies, so looked a bit like collies or kelpies. Some were tiny – but they were so strong and had inexhaustible energy.”

Max Porter 

The Covid pandemic scuppered Max’s travel plans in 2020, so heading to Norway represented unfinished business for the 25-year-old.

Back then, the chairman of Brown Clee had hoped to see some of New Zealand, Australia, the US and Canada, so he seized the opportunity to join this trip.

The scenery was breathtaking. It really was a winter wonderland,” says farm manager Max. “It was fjords, valleys and forests – and the farms were in the few acres between the sea and the treeline.

© Max Porter

“Even though temperatures were as low as -25C, it didn’t feel that cold because it was a dry, frozen cold. There was no wet or mud and everyone was used to the snow, so it wasn’t really an issue for them.”

Getting to eat reindeer steak for the first time, the dog-sledding and taking a boat trip, which included a visit to a traditional fishing village, were among the highlights for Max.

Farmer dentist

“It was interesting to see how the lady farming the goats was also a dentist, so it’s not just in the UK that a lot of livestock farmers need to supplement their income with off-farm work.

“Because the livestock was inside and moving kit round outside could be a challenge, the farmers made everything uber-efficient inside,” he adds.

“Both the goat and dairy farm we visited had automatic feeding systems involving minimal labour. 

“They had to fetch bales of silage from all over the place to the dairy unit because there wasn’t any productive land to buy or rent locally.

“Because much of the ground is so steep, they have to follow the flatter coastal roads, so it involves a lot of miles in the tractor.

Strawberries big as a fist

“The sun was coming up about 10am and going down about 3pm when we were there, but there are 24 hours a day of darkness in the middle of winter.

Conversely, there are 24 hours of sunlight in summer. We saw a polytunnel where strawberries are grown, which, because of the long sunlight, can be almost as big as a fist.”

YFC offers many brilliant travel opportunities, according to Max. “There are also activities and competition to suit everyone – from hockey matches to pantomimes.

“Because there’s such a wide range of ages in terms of members, you become friends with people who, at school, you wouldn’t have mixed with and, given how farming can be an isolated job, it’s a fantastic way to meet people. I’ve made some lifelong friends on this trip.

“I’d like to go back so Scandinavia – maybe in summer to see it without the snow. I imagine it would be very different, though equally beautiful. 

“The only downside is a pint costs £12!”