1 00:00:05,680-->00:00:11,080 She was born into a rich family in Westport, Connecticut. 2 00:00:11,760-->00:00:16,440 But she lives like Norwegian farmers did a century ago. 3 00:00:23,240-->00:00:28,680 I've never owned a mobile telephone, car or computer. 4 00:00:28,800-->00:00:33,600 Actually, I've never owned a TV. My parents did, but... 5 00:00:34,000-->00:00:37,680 I stopped watching TV when I was sixteen. 6 00:00:40,160-->00:00:45,680 My dream was to find a farm without a road, without electricity, - 7 00:00:45,800-->00:00:49,200 - and without modern plumbing. 8 00:00:49,320-->00:00:53,200 So... I think I've found the place. 9 00:01:05,200-->00:01:12,480 Moslid Farm lies south of Åmot in Vinje, Vest-Telemark. 10 00:01:12,600-->00:01:15,120 This is Jenny Endresen's home. 11 00:01:15,240-->00:01:21,040 The rich man's daughter received training in the film industry. 12 00:01:21,160-->00:01:24,520 She soon moved away from home. 13 00:01:24,920-->00:01:32,000 She married a Norwegian, and settled on a farm in Vestlandet. 14 00:01:32,120-->00:01:36,440 Now she's remarried and found another quiet spot. 15 00:01:36,560-->00:01:42,160 Why did you leave the wealthy community where you grew up? 16 00:01:42,280-->00:01:48,920 If you visited the place, you'd understand why in a short time. 17 00:01:50,680-->00:01:57,720 Basically everyone drives a Rolls-Royce, Mercedes or Jaguar. 18 00:01:59,520-->00:02:07,040 They have their mansions by the sea, vacations in Paris and... 19 00:02:08,320-->00:02:10,960 Millions of unnecessary things. 20 00:02:11,080-->00:02:16,080 And they're the most miserable people on the planet. 21 00:02:16,200-->00:02:21,720 Why did you react differently than the majority? 22 00:02:23,440-->00:02:26,400 That's a good question. 23 00:02:26,520-->00:02:30,520 As a small child, I... 24 00:02:30,640-->00:02:36,960 I always connected much more with animals, non-human beings, - 25 00:02:37,080-->00:02:39,160 - than with humans. 26 00:02:39,280-->00:02:43,640 I always felt sort of like a stranger in the world. 27 00:02:47,640-->00:02:53,960 Jenny cares about animals, and lets a motherless kid into the house. 28 00:02:56,080-->00:02:59,000 She's got an extra treat - 29 00:02:59,120-->00:03:04,160 - for the sheep and goats ranging freely in the farmyard. 30 00:03:08,120-->00:03:13,320 The sheep put meat on the table, and provide wool for clothing. 31 00:03:31,680-->00:03:36,480 A young lady without any modern remedies. 32 00:03:36,600-->00:03:39,560 Without electricity. 33 00:03:39,680-->00:03:43,040 Why have you chosen to live like this? 34 00:03:43,160-->00:03:47,680 I'd like to quote one of my greatest inspirations, - 35 00:03:47,800-->00:03:54,280 - a man named Harlan Hubbard, from Kentucky in the US: 36 00:03:54,400-->00:03:59,040 "We wish to be self-sufficient, so as to avoid contributing" - 37 00:03:59,160-->00:04:03,520 - "to the mechanical system destroying the earth." 38 00:04:03,640-->00:04:08,400 He said that maybe thirty years ago. 39 00:04:08,520-->00:04:13,160 But it still applies today. In this day and age - 40 00:04:13,280-->00:04:19,360 - we have a responsibility to future generations to do what we can. 41 00:04:22,040-->00:04:25,120 Moslid is a tranquil place. 42 00:04:25,240-->00:04:32,000 The dog looks after the cat, who doesn't appreciate the attention. 43 00:04:38,440-->00:04:43,280 On the other hand, animal life has its dramatic moments. 44 00:04:43,400-->00:04:48,000 There's friendship, animosity, love and jealousy. 45 00:05:04,280-->00:05:10,400 On a farm without motorised tools, the horse must do its share. 46 00:05:10,520-->00:05:16,400 The driver is Jenny's husband, teacher and farmer Ole Endresen. 47 00:05:24,040-->00:05:30,640 He shares her lifestyle, but this time he prefers to act as an extra. 48 00:05:43,920-->00:05:48,360 Ole's son from a previous marriage, Ole Martin, - 49 00:05:48,480-->00:05:52,200 - lives at Moslid and helps out at the farm. 50 00:05:52,320-->00:05:57,160 An old-fashioned lifestyle means you're never short of work. 51 00:05:58,600-->00:06:01,560 But there's also time for play. 52 00:06:01,680-->00:06:07,280 This little fellow is Gustav, Jenny and Ole's son. 53 00:06:07,400-->00:06:11,080 He won't attend kindergarten or ordinary school. 54 00:06:11,200-->00:06:17,200 His parents have little faith in the traditional system of education. 55 00:06:21,440-->00:06:26,280 The problem is that the system doesn't take into consideration - 56 00:06:26,400-->00:06:29,160 - the needs of children. 57 00:06:29,280-->00:06:34,040 –In what way? –For example... 58 00:06:34,160-->00:06:40,240 Having 20, 25 or 30 children of the exact same age in a classroom. 59 00:06:40,360-->00:06:44,800 It's quite an experiment in human engineering. 60 00:06:44,920-->00:06:49,160 There's never been a tradition in human history - 61 00:06:49,280-->00:06:52,800 - to mass together people of the same age. 62 00:06:52,920-->00:06:59,400 Until someone invented the idea of compulsory schooling 150 years ago. 63 00:06:59,520-->00:07:02,800 That's one thing. And... 64 00:07:02,920-->00:07:07,240 I think children have different learning styles. 65 00:07:07,360-->00:07:10,280 They learn at different rates. 66 00:07:12,400-->00:07:17,120 I think children are belittled by the school system. 67 00:07:17,240-->00:07:20,680 –What's the alternative? –There are many. 68 00:07:20,800-->00:07:23,880 One alternative is home schooling. 69 00:07:25,560-->00:07:31,720 Not necessarily school at home, but another way of educating children. 70 00:07:36,360-->00:07:43,080 Besides sheep for wool and meat, they keep goats for cheese, - 71 00:07:43,200-->00:07:48,360 - and cows to provide them with milk and butter. 72 00:07:48,480-->00:07:54,320 Every morning and evening, she milks them by lantern-light. 73 00:07:54,440-->00:08:00,800 The cow is restless. Jenny milks into a cup to avoid impurities. 74 00:08:00,920-->00:08:04,200 But she can live with that. 75 00:08:04,320-->00:08:09,320 I think most of us have at some time in our lives - 76 00:08:09,440-->00:08:12,280 - bought into the big lie - 77 00:08:12,400-->00:08:17,360 - which has been taught through advertising and the media. 78 00:08:17,480-->00:08:21,800 That buying and consuming - 79 00:08:21,920-->00:08:26,880 - is more meaningful than creating things yourself. 80 00:08:27,000-->00:08:31,880 Moslid Farm is hardly marked by consumerist mentality. 81 00:08:32,000-->00:08:35,360 They've made some things themselves. 82 00:08:35,480-->00:08:40,840 Some are from Salvation Army counters – or from the dump. 83 00:08:40,960-->00:08:47,360 About 1/3 of our interior... Well, actually outside too. 84 00:08:47,480-->00:08:51,440 I'd guess 1/3 of our possessions are from the dump. 85 00:08:51,560-->00:08:55,520 For example my loom, that I'm weaving on. 86 00:08:55,640-->00:08:58,840 That is a garbage find. 87 00:09:00,040-->00:09:03,600 She's fascinated by tradition and cultural history. 88 00:09:03,720-->00:09:07,640 By Norwegian culinary and folk art. 89 00:09:07,760-->00:09:11,480 She colours her own yarn with extracts - 90 00:09:11,600-->00:09:15,000 - of plants she picks herself. 91 00:09:15,120-->00:09:20,560 Living in Vestlandet, she wrote a book about the tasks and tools - 92 00:09:20,680-->00:09:26,520 - of the old farming culture, illustrating it herself. 93 00:09:27,160-->00:09:34,120 She weaves mats and carpets, as well as finer cloths. 94 00:09:34,240-->00:09:38,480 She learned the art at Holmen Farm in Gjerstad. 95 00:09:38,600-->00:09:44,520 Then honed it through three years of home industry studies. 96 00:09:46,400-->00:09:52,840 Well, I think it's very exciting to have local traditions. 97 00:09:52,960-->00:09:56,880 Where I grew up, there were no traditions to speak of. 98 00:09:57,000-->00:10:04,680 In the United States, "tradition" is a very nebulous term. 99 00:10:10,280-->00:10:13,720 I love to use what is on hand. 100 00:10:18,360-->00:10:24,080 We cannot continue as we are doing. That is clear. And I... 101 00:10:24,200-->00:10:29,000 It may have sounded crazy just five years ago. 102 00:10:29,120-->00:10:36,080 But it's now a fact. We can't continue living the way we do. 103 00:10:36,200-->00:10:41,000 Our human obsession with speed, comfort and ease, - 104 00:10:41,120-->00:10:46,160 - is killing the earth. It's suicide. That's why I live the way I do. 105 00:10:55,800-->00:11:02,120 It's about thrift. This is melted tallow from sheep or goats. 106 00:11:02,240-->00:11:07,840 She makes tallow candles. Sometimes she uses beeswax. 107 00:11:07,960-->00:11:13,920 She reuses candle stumps in the melting and moulding process. 108 00:11:14,040-->00:11:19,680 Though they lack electricity, she loves light, and needs a lot of it. 109 00:11:23,760-->00:11:28,360 Darkness has fallen. It's late in the evening. 110 00:11:28,480-->00:11:34,840 There's no TV, no radio, no reasonably fresh newspapers. 111 00:11:34,960-->00:11:40,280 So how do you pass the long winter evenings? 112 00:11:40,400-->00:11:46,440 Well, we're very fond of books. We have thousands of books. 113 00:11:46,560-->00:11:50,000 Ole spends a lot of time reading. 114 00:11:52,480-->00:11:59,280 I occupy myself with handicrafts such as embroidery. 115 00:12:03,400-->00:12:08,040 So... Those are a couple of the things. 116 00:12:08,160-->00:12:10,480 Then we have visitors. 117 00:12:10,600-->00:12:14,360 We have lots of musical friends who come by. 118 00:12:31,280-->00:12:35,280 Rauland Academy students have come to visit. 119 00:12:35,400-->00:12:40,080 The youngest member of the household leads the dance. 120 00:13:08,160-->00:13:12,280 A new day dawns. It's time for breakfast. 121 00:13:12,400-->00:13:15,920 The food is stored in the cold cellar. 122 00:13:16,040-->00:13:19,280 Jenny has made all the food herself. 123 00:13:19,400-->00:13:23,520 The aim is to live from what the farm provides. 124 00:13:23,640-->00:13:26,760 You use the cellar as a fridge? 125 00:13:26,880-->00:13:30,360 Yes. That's our little refrigerator. 126 00:13:30,480-->00:13:36,280 But you must miss having a freezer on hot summer days? 127 00:13:38,280-->00:13:43,200 Sometimes in summer it can be a bit on the warm side. 128 00:13:43,320-->00:13:48,880 Then we use buckets of cold water. The well water is always cold. 129 00:13:49,000-->00:13:51,440 So we can put - 130 00:13:51,600-->00:13:56,480 - things that need cooling in it. Normally it's not a problem. 131 00:13:56,600-->00:14:01,160 How do you conserve food? Dinner, for example? 132 00:14:01,280-->00:14:06,200 We of course salt meat and smoke meat. 133 00:14:06,800-->00:14:11,240 And I make jams, pickles and chutney, - 134 00:14:11,360-->00:14:15,280 - which are conserved in this old-fashioned way. 135 00:14:17,400-->00:14:21,720 If I have too much butter, I salt it in crocks. 136 00:14:21,840-->00:14:27,160 Press it down in rubber-sealed jars with a layer of salt on top. 137 00:14:28,160-->00:14:31,200 The cheese is no problem. 138 00:14:32,560-->00:14:37,760 A cold-water tap is the most modern implement at Moslid. 139 00:14:38,840-->00:14:44,280 –Just one tap on the farm? –The only one. 140 00:14:44,400-->00:14:47,920 –It's not that old either? –No. 141 00:14:48,040-->00:14:53,680 The first 2 ½ years we lived here, we had to get it from the well. 142 00:14:53,800-->00:14:58,400 We carried all our water. Then I suggested to my husband - 143 00:14:58,520-->00:15:03,920 - that we might see if we could get the pipes working. 144 00:15:04,040-->00:15:09,920 He was a bit concerned that I was becoming too modern. 145 00:15:10,040-->00:15:16,280 So... But I thought it was appropriate technology. 146 00:15:16,400-->00:15:22,000 Water's running downhill from the well anyway. It's not that modern. 147 00:15:22,120-->00:15:28,120 Having this running water isn't contributing to global warming. 148 00:15:28,240-->00:15:34,400 She lives in the past, a couple of centuries back, some might say. 149 00:15:34,520-->00:15:38,840 But in the current financial and climate crisis, - 150 00:15:38,960-->00:15:42,360 - we need people like Jenny Endresen. 151 00:15:44,520-->00:15:49,520 The farmer's wife at Moslid even makes her own soap. 152 00:15:51,000-->00:15:57,120 I'm pouring caustic soda, or lye, into the goat milk. 153 00:15:58,160-->00:16:02,200 Usually I'd make this soap with tallow, - 154 00:16:02,320-->00:16:05,680 - or some kind of animal fat. 155 00:16:05,800-->00:16:11,880 But because we've made candles from the tallow, we'll use olive oil. 156 00:16:13,000-->00:16:17,200 So now we add the very special ingredient. 157 00:16:17,320-->00:16:19,520 Marigold. 158 00:16:21,680-->00:16:25,560 I think we're ready to pour the caustic soda - 159 00:16:25,680-->00:16:30,200 - and goat milk mixture into the oil. 160 00:16:32,600-->00:16:37,400 And this we can't stop stirring. This has to go on. 161 00:16:43,720-->00:16:49,200 Months have passed. The soap has set and is ready to use. 162 00:16:50,160-->00:16:53,640 The end of May. Time for a spring bee. 163 00:16:53,760-->00:16:59,440 Jenny and Ole have invited to a traditional community effort. 164 00:16:59,560-->00:17:03,800 Friends from near and far come to lend a hand. 165 00:17:03,920-->00:17:06,920 And have some fun together. 166 00:17:40,640-->00:17:45,040 Mechanised society has reached Moslid in one sense. 167 00:17:45,160-->00:17:50,280 The cow exults in the unexpected release from its stall. 168 00:17:50,400-->00:17:56,640 It's the hen's turn to fall victim to the dog's suffocating care. 169 00:18:04,000-->00:18:08,040 So why do you hold a bee? 170 00:18:08,160-->00:18:10,680 There are several reasons. 171 00:18:12,080-->00:18:17,600 It's an old tradition in Norway, one that I think is very nice. 172 00:18:17,720-->00:18:22,680 And since we do absolutely everything by hand - 173 00:18:22,800-->00:18:27,880 - it's good to have a bunch of people to accomplish things. 174 00:18:28,000-->00:18:31,960 And I think the social aspect is lovely. 175 00:18:33,640-->00:18:38,800 First the manure has to be spread. To do this truly shamelessly, - 176 00:18:38,920-->00:18:41,920 - the horse must pull it's weight. 177 00:18:47,960-->00:18:52,920 The work is done. Time for a traditional celebration. 178 00:18:53,040-->00:18:56,880 They're about to start when the rain sets in. 179 00:18:57,000-->00:19:00,160 Limiting the celebration to song. 180 00:19:38,320-->00:19:40,920 By late summer, - 181 00:19:41,040-->00:19:44,920 - Olav Mjaugedal has racked his hay to dry. 182 00:19:45,040-->00:19:49,880 He's a traditionalist. Jenny and Ole look up to him. 183 00:19:50,000-->00:19:56,000 They've come to give a hand with the haying, and to learn. 184 00:19:56,120-->00:20:00,240 Jenny and Ole are fresh farmers, and need advice - 185 00:20:00,360-->00:20:03,960 - drawn from his lifetime of experience. 186 00:20:05,880-->00:20:11,800 At Moslid, the dog has diverted his attention to the sheep. 187 00:20:11,920-->00:20:16,680 They communicate their lessons to the poultry. 188 00:20:20,200-->00:20:25,680 The four-legged population has increased by a calf. 189 00:20:27,160-->00:20:31,480 And Gustav has found several new playmates. 190 00:20:37,960-->00:20:44,080 It's time for haying at Moslid. They have plenty of help now - 191 00:20:44,200-->00:20:50,200 - that Jenny's three children from her first marriage are here. 192 00:20:50,320-->00:20:54,760 In line with tradition, everyone lends a hand. 193 00:21:00,560-->00:21:06,920 Most of the hay is racked, but in warm weather, the haytedder - 194 00:21:07,040-->00:21:11,560 - allows hay to be dried on the ground. 195 00:21:18,560-->00:21:24,840 The lady of the house rakes, but keeps her knitting at hand. 196 00:21:24,960-->00:21:30,080 As in the old days, time is not something to be wasted. 197 00:21:30,200-->00:21:33,680 Obviously it's my choice to do this. 198 00:21:33,800-->00:21:38,640 But it's very satisfying to use one's time productively. 199 00:21:38,760-->00:21:45,160 Why do you dry the hay instead of using a silo or round bales? 200 00:21:47,080-->00:21:52,320 Round bales require much more investment and technology. 201 00:21:54,160-->00:21:57,280 We work on a quite small scale. 202 00:21:57,400-->00:22:02,880 Dry hay is more... makes much more sense for us. 203 00:22:05,120-->00:22:08,520 After haying one might like to wash. 204 00:22:08,640-->00:22:14,440 But at Moslid they have neither hot water nor a bathtub. What to do? 205 00:22:19,080-->00:22:24,920 Look at all those bubbles! 206 00:22:25,040-->00:22:27,800 –Look! –All those bubbles! 207 00:22:27,920-->00:22:32,440 You don't need electricity to have a Jacuzzi, just a butter churn. 208 00:22:34,040-->00:22:40,240 If you're too big for the tub, there's a home-made shower - 209 00:22:40,360-->00:22:44,760 - in a copse at the bottom of the yard. 210 00:22:44,880-->00:22:49,320 We're also working on a recycled milk tank - 211 00:22:49,440-->00:22:54,120 - with a wood-burning stove made of aluminium inside. 212 00:22:56,640-->00:23:02,520 And that will be very nice. Then we can submerge to our chins. 213 00:23:02,640-->00:23:07,000 But as of now, this is the water we have. 214 00:23:12,000-->00:23:17,240 Washing clothes is done in the same manner: the old way. 215 00:23:27,320-->00:23:31,960 It's a fairly primitive way of washing clothes. 216 00:23:32,080-->00:23:38,320 Well, the important thing is that things get decently clean, at least. 217 00:23:39,280-->00:23:43,440 –You're not afraid of hard work? –No. 218 00:23:43,560-->00:23:50,120 But soon we will be using the bicycle-powered washing machine - 219 00:23:50,240-->00:23:55,000 - Ole has constructed. That'll make things easier. 220 00:23:55,120-->00:24:00,680 A motorised washing machine driven by human power? 221 00:24:00,800-->00:24:07,880 Think of all those people biking in health clubs and training centres. 222 00:24:08,000-->00:24:13,480 That energy is wasted. They could attach their biking machines - 223 00:24:13,600-->00:24:18,560 - to washing machines and clean their clothes at the same time. 224 00:24:40,400-->00:24:44,480 The flowers are not only for beauty's sake, - 225 00:24:44,600-->00:24:49,000 - but also to attract beneficial insects to the garden. 226 00:24:49,120-->00:24:52,720 We have culinary and medicinal herbs. 227 00:24:52,840-->00:24:56,280 Some are both at the same time. 228 00:24:56,400-->00:25:02,360 I think I basically have every herb grown in Norway in this garden. 229 00:25:02,480-->00:25:06,040 You choose the garden over the pharmacy? 230 00:25:06,160-->00:25:10,360 Yeah, we don't use much store-bought medicine. 231 00:25:19,800-->00:25:22,680 They're self-supplied with milk. 232 00:25:22,800-->00:25:28,960 Morning and evening the goats are milked at a regular spot. 233 00:25:29,080-->00:25:33,320 Ole has constructed a practical apparatus for the job. 234 00:25:44,440-->00:25:49,240 They make various varieties of cheese from the milk. 235 00:25:50,400-->00:25:53,640 Today we're making feta cheese. 236 00:25:53,760-->00:25:59,680 But tell me, the cow has a calf, the goats have kids... 237 00:25:59,800-->00:26:04,800 You let the calves and kids feed from their mothers - 238 00:26:04,920-->00:26:11,360 - rather than maximising the amount of milk for your own use. Why? 239 00:26:11,480-->00:26:15,400 One reason is that it would be extremely sad - 240 00:26:15,520-->00:26:19,240 - to take babies away from their mothers. 241 00:26:19,360-->00:26:25,560 I'm not a professional farmer. I'm concerned about animal welfare. 242 00:26:25,680-->00:26:28,640 I want them to have a good life. 243 00:26:34,720-->00:26:38,760 It's time to rest after the day's toil. 244 00:26:41,280-->00:26:45,800 Even the dog takes a break from guard duty. 245 00:26:45,920-->00:26:53,000 Jenny has put on her best dress simply to enjoy the summer evening. 246 00:26:53,120-->00:26:59,520 She designed and made the dress during her home industry studies. 247 00:26:59,800-->00:27:05,800 It's inspired by the East-Telemark wide-belted skirt tradition. 248 00:27:05,920-->00:27:13,520 But I made a few changes which were unpopular with the bunad police. 249 00:27:13,640-->00:27:20,720 Therefore I received the worst grade on my end-term assignment. 250 00:27:20,840-->00:27:25,360 For my final grade as well. It's actually true. 251 00:27:25,480-->00:27:29,720 But it's very meaningless in my life. 252 00:27:29,840-->00:27:36,680 It's a bit strange, considering my passion for tradition, but... 253 00:27:37,760-->00:27:41,800 Maybe I'm a bit of an unpopular student. 254 00:27:41,920-->00:27:45,200 I have a very strange lifestyle. 255 00:27:45,320-->00:27:49,000 But you've chosen this lifestyle yourself? 256 00:27:49,120-->00:27:55,520 –Why is it the best one for you? –I think it's not only best for me. 257 00:27:55,640-->00:28:03,040 I personally think it's the best way of life for the planet we live on. 258 00:28:03,160-->00:28:08,240 Because the way the human race is carrying on - 259 00:28:08,360-->00:28:10,720 - is clearly unsustainable. 260 00:28:10,840-->00:28:15,080 So it's not just my own personal satisfaction. 261 00:28:15,200-->00:28:20,320 I'm trying to live in a way that does as little damage as possible. 262 00:28:20,440-->00:28:24,440 It's also satisfying to create things yourself. 263 00:28:24,560-->00:28:29,520 Whether it's clothing or the food that you grow. 264 00:28:29,640-->00:28:35,560 It's incredibly fulfilling to live such a life. 265 00:28:42,560-->00:28:45,360 Subtitles: Erik Groenvold