1 00:00:07,400-->00:00:12,160 A pack of dogs and three people: young Truls, - 2 00:00:12,280-->00:00:18,160 -the father Knut Kastnes and the mother Siri Kobberrød. 3 00:00:23,840-->00:00:27,560 These are the people on Sæterstad farm. 4 00:00:38,160-->00:00:42,600 We are by Røssvatnet in Nordland. 5 00:00:44,040-->00:00:49,880 Knut Kastnes from Mosjøen came in the eighties, a biologist. 6 00:00:50,000-->00:00:53,720 A couple of years later Siri came as a milkmaid. 7 00:00:53,840-->00:00:58,320 They would come to share both work and life. 8 00:00:58,440-->00:01:03,160 They had four children, only the youngest is still at home. 9 00:01:03,280-->00:01:08,280 They have put down a great deal of work here. 10 00:01:09,360-->00:01:15,040 What a wonderful fireplace! Did you make it yourself? 11 00:01:15,160-->00:01:23,720 Yes, the entire family helped. We picked rocks in Vefsna, river rocks. 12 00:01:25,040-->00:01:29,720 And the tiles we gathered by Røssvatn. 13 00:01:29,880-->00:01:34,800 And we laid in rosin wood which we found on our own land. 14 00:01:34,960-->00:01:39,320 -In the background there is a stove -Baking oven. 15 00:01:39,440-->00:01:44,600 I was first sent on a baking oven building course. 16 00:01:44,720-->00:01:51,040 The first course arranged in Norway. So it was a bit thin, - 17 00:01:51,160-->00:01:57,760 - but we got an idea about how it was done, so we went for it. 18 00:01:58,520-->00:02:02,600 They are both immigrants. 19 00:02:02,720-->00:02:08,560 Have you always wanted to be out-of-the-way farmers? 20 00:02:08,680-->00:02:14,520 I dreamed of becoming a Sami when I was a boy. 21 00:02:14,640-->00:02:21,080 But when I understood it wasn't possible, farming was my dream. 22 00:02:22,080-->00:02:29,240 All my school essays about my future were about my farm. 23 00:02:29,640-->00:02:33,280 Why did you want to be a Sami? 24 00:02:33,400-->00:02:38,800 It was something that fascinated me about that life. 25 00:02:38,920-->00:02:45,400 Original inhabitants and self- sufficiency - it was fascinating. 26 00:02:45,560-->00:02:52,080 -How did you end up at Sæterstad? -My parents had a cottage here. 27 00:02:52,200-->00:03:00,200 And I knew about the farm. I finished my thesis in the cottage. 28 00:03:00,320-->00:03:04,480 Then this farm became for sale. 29 00:03:04,600-->00:03:11,160 You were all alone, but found out that you needed relief. 30 00:03:11,280-->00:03:18,040 A city-girl from Trondheim turned up. How did that happen? 31 00:03:18,160-->00:03:24,560 Knut took contact. While I studied teaching in Levanger, - 32 00:03:24,680-->00:03:30,000 -He called one spring and asked if I could be a reliever. 33 00:03:30,120-->00:03:36,240 -How did he know about you? -I'd never heard of him. 34 00:03:36,360-->00:03:40,880 I suppose some friends gave him a tip. 35 00:03:41,000-->00:03:44,920 How did it look when you came? 36 00:03:45,040-->00:03:50,520 It didn't look like a Trønder-farm with big barns and red cow stables. 37 00:03:50,640-->00:03:54,440 It was more quaint than that. 38 00:03:56,520-->00:04:04,920 There was a lot to do. But it was so idyllic here, I fell for it. 39 00:04:05,480-->00:04:11,000 What facilities did the farm lack? 40 00:04:11,120-->00:04:16,800 When I moved here almost 25 years ago, - 41 00:04:16,920-->00:04:21,920 -I brought a laundry machine and a hot water tank. 42 00:04:22,040-->00:04:28,880 There was no hot water, and the toilet was in the cow stable. 43 00:04:29,960-->00:04:36,320 -You still had no doubts? -I saw many opportunities here. 44 00:04:36,440-->00:04:42,400 I had just worked as a milkmaid and made cheese. 45 00:04:42,520-->00:04:45,000 So it fit well. 46 00:04:45,120-->00:04:49,480 Was it the place or the farmer which drew you most? 47 00:04:49,600-->00:04:54,600 A combination. I don't dare say anything else now. 48 00:04:55,440-->00:05:03,160 Sæterstad has changed. Four-five new buildings have risen. 49 00:05:03,280-->00:05:08,920 Besides a living house, we built a house for future tourism. 50 00:05:09,040-->00:05:13,840 They have also built two stables: one for goats and one for - fish. 51 00:05:13,960-->00:05:17,840 They have invested 7-8 mill. [ca. 1 mill. USD] 52 00:05:17,960-->00:05:25,160 With much hard work and some volunteering it's come to this. 53 00:05:25,320-->00:05:31,640 Hard work ... do you do carpentry, architecture etc. yourselves? 54 00:05:31,760-->00:05:39,360 We planned and drew everything. We did a lot of carpentry, - 55 00:05:39,480-->00:05:43,400 - but we also used others. 56 00:05:43,520-->00:05:50,480 The material we got in our forest or bought from the state. 57 00:05:51,680-->00:05:58,000 -Mostly it's sawed on our own saw -And driven with horse and sleigh? 58 00:05:58,120-->00:06:03,680 We've had a horse, but not for pulling lumber. 59 00:06:03,800-->00:06:10,360 Most of it was carried by tractor, some with dog sleighs. 60 00:06:10,480-->00:06:16,480 We have searched for material out in the terrain. 61 00:06:16,600-->00:06:22,240 -They are useful for that? -Yes, and we used to have more. 62 00:06:22,360-->00:06:27,880 In carpentry there are no men and women ... 63 00:06:28,000-->00:06:34,160 Everyone must contribute. My wife and kids have helped a lot. 64 00:06:35,880-->00:06:42,000 The first years she helped scaling and casting. 65 00:06:44,680-->00:06:49,960 This is an unusual house. In the cellar is a special stable, - 66 00:06:50,080-->00:06:53,920 - while the loft holds a power plant. 67 00:06:54,040-->00:07:00,600 The power plant gets water from Langvatnet, 1 km away. 68 00:07:00,720-->00:07:07,760 We put a pipeline down here. The water enters the blue turbine. 69 00:07:10,280-->00:07:17,680 -Does it supply the entire farm? -We are self-sufficient with power. 70 00:07:17,840-->00:07:24,840 In addition we sell some to the local power company. 71 00:07:24,960-->00:07:32,440 You placed it on the roof. Why? The fall becomes smaller. 72 00:07:33,920-->00:07:40,920 We use the water twice. First it enters here and makes power. 73 00:07:41,040-->00:07:47,840 Then it goes to the fish stable where we farm char. 74 00:07:50,400-->00:07:55,520 We have the fish in a house which we call a fish stable. 75 00:07:55,680-->00:08:01,440 -A fish stable isn't common? -Not when we started, anyway. 76 00:08:01,560-->00:08:07,400 This is the first in Norway which is based on - 77 00:08:07,520-->00:08:12,680 - Full production from fry to processed good. 78 00:08:12,800-->00:08:16,680 Why char and not trout? 79 00:08:16,800-->00:08:22,960 Char is called the mountain queen. It's got better quality - 80 00:08:23,080-->00:08:28,840 - than trout, at least in the north, and the price is better. 81 00:08:28,960-->00:08:36,280 -What do you do with this fish? -We will smoke it. 82 00:08:46,520-->00:08:54,720 -So the butcher is working? -Yes. It will be hot-smoked char. 83 00:08:55,560-->00:09:01,680 -How goes that process? -We butcher and wash it. 84 00:09:01,800-->00:09:07,120 Then we salt it in tubs. 85 00:09:07,240-->00:09:14,320 It lies there for 6-7 hours, before we start smoking it. 86 00:09:15,360-->00:09:20,880 Is it meant for breakfast or dinner? 87 00:09:21,000-->00:09:26,160 It can be used for everything. We often use it as a starter. 88 00:09:26,280-->00:09:31,680 In summer it's a nice dinner or lunch. 89 00:09:32,400-->00:09:37,440 In a year, about a couple of tons of char are smoked. 90 00:09:37,560-->00:09:41,960 Aquaculture and processing has become industry. 91 00:09:44,040-->00:09:48,960 Even more important is rakfisk. Each year Knut and Siri make - 92 00:09:49,080-->00:09:52,800 - 8-10 tons of this delicacy. 93 00:09:52,920-->00:09:58,320 They have won the national championship two years in a row. 94 00:09:58,480-->00:10:03,840 Here is a tub of finished rakfisk. 95 00:10:04,720-->00:10:12,280 It's fermented in the cooler for 3 months. 96 00:10:12,400-->00:10:18,960 Can you tell us the secret behind the success and the awards? 97 00:10:22,360-->00:10:28,960 We often blame good water quality, but it's a good recipe, too. 98 00:10:30,440-->00:10:36,360 It's enough salt, right temperature and not so much sugar, - 99 00:10:36,480-->00:10:43,000 -just enough for the bacteria to start the process. 100 00:10:43,120-->00:10:48,720 Is it all made for sale, or do you enjoy it yourself as well? 101 00:10:48,840-->00:10:54,480 Of course we eat a great deal ourselves. 102 00:10:54,600-->00:11:01,320 Every Christmas we hold a rakfisk- party, sometimes we invite couples. 103 00:11:05,000-->00:11:10,000 Now I suppose you are excited about this year's rakfisk? 104 00:11:39,400-->00:11:44,920 Siri brings treats for the animals. The stable is done. 105 00:11:45,040-->00:11:51,520 The goat herd is in place, and the milking system is working. 106 00:12:00,040-->00:12:05,960 The goats go in for milking on one side and out the other. 107 00:12:06,080-->00:12:11,640 The farmer has invented this system himself. 108 00:12:12,880-->00:12:20,240 The goat heads are locked so they stand still. Is it your patent? 109 00:12:20,760-->00:12:26,960 -Steel is more common. -Why choose wood? 110 00:12:27,080-->00:12:35,240 We have wood everywhere. It feels warmer, somehow. 111 00:12:35,400-->00:12:41,440 Metallic sounds are a distracting element. 112 00:12:41,560-->00:12:44,680 For humans or animals? 113 00:12:44,800-->00:12:50,520 At least for humans, but we hope the animals appreciate it, too. 114 00:12:51,320-->00:12:56,560 Milking goats like these goes quickly. 115 00:12:57,440-->00:13:04,800 -How do you see when it's empty? -We see it here. 116 00:13:04,920-->00:13:09,280 And we feel it on the udder. 117 00:13:15,080-->00:13:21,360 The goats are headed for pasture, but first some pigs need treatment. 118 00:13:30,400-->00:13:38,000 -Do you rub them? -Yes. They need sunscreen. 119 00:13:38,120-->00:13:44,800 -Seriously? -They stay out all day with the goats. 120 00:14:27,000-->00:14:32,120 Yes, a flock of goats tend the cultural landscape well. 121 00:14:32,280-->00:14:37,920 While the animals graze, the farmers bring in winter fodder. 122 00:14:39,440-->00:14:45,440 The middle son, Marius, is home from agronomy school. 123 00:14:47,160-->00:14:53,720 The hay is field-dried for a while, and the machinery works fine. 124 00:14:53,840-->00:14:58,360 Living out of the way, you can still run modern. 125 00:15:00,320-->00:15:03,720 A couple of days later the hay is brought in. 126 00:15:03,880-->00:15:10,480 In the barn, too, mechanisation is present. 127 00:15:12,280-->00:15:16,760 The hay is spread out, and the drying continues - 128 00:15:16,880-->00:15:21,400 - with hot air being blown through the bars. 129 00:15:21,520-->00:15:26,760 The air is sun-heated, also one of Knut's inventions. 130 00:15:26,920-->00:15:32,320 Why dry hay rather than silo or round bales? 131 00:15:32,440-->00:15:41,080 We process the milk on site, and want premium quality fodder. 132 00:15:41,920-->00:15:48,720 We drive in some raw hay and dry the rest indoors, for best quality. 133 00:15:48,920-->00:15:54,800 We also avoid bacteria which often occur in silos. 134 00:15:56,440-->00:16:03,200 Through the working sessions, the young are allowed to be young. 135 00:16:08,480-->00:16:14,920 The farm has a cheese factory, and 50 000l goat milk are used per year. 136 00:16:15,040-->00:16:21,440 It becomes 9 tons of cheese. Brown and white, fresh and mature. 137 00:16:21,560-->00:16:27,960 The recipes are homemade. A speciality is the coffee cheese, - 138 00:16:28,080-->00:16:33,600 -cheese to put in coffee, which has long traditions in Helgeland. 139 00:16:34,480-->00:16:40,640 We cut it like this to make small, nice cubes. 140 00:16:40,800-->00:16:45,280 Horizontally and vertically. 141 00:16:45,400-->00:16:51,920 By making small cubes, one removes liquid from the cheese mass. 142 00:16:56,360-->00:17:02,720 From the whey is made brown cheese, the rest becomes coffee cheese. 143 00:17:08,880-->00:17:14,200 After the liquid is separated, the cheese must be dried. 144 00:17:14,360-->00:17:18,160 In the middle of drying, it must be turned around. 145 00:17:18,280-->00:17:23,880 It's only conserved with drying. No salt is added. 146 00:17:25,160-->00:17:30,120 In the past it was often smoked as well. 147 00:17:30,240-->00:17:36,240 It lay in the storehouse and was used in winter when they lacked fresh milk. 148 00:17:37,480-->00:17:44,200 -You care about tradition... -We learned to make this here. 149 00:17:44,320-->00:17:50,320 When we came here 25 years ago, five farms made coffee cheese. 150 00:17:50,440-->00:17:54,040 They had from one to five goats. 151 00:17:54,880-->00:18:00,800 The goat meat is kept. A sausage maker makes morr-sausage - 152 00:18:00,920-->00:18:07,000 -and other cured meats, but the goal is starting production on site. 153 00:18:07,120-->00:18:13,320 They have large plans, and most have succeeded so far. 154 00:18:18,560-->00:18:22,440 Summer is shedding season. 155 00:18:22,600-->00:18:29,120 The housewife at Sæterstad gathers dog hair in her wool basket. 156 00:18:29,880-->00:18:36,720 I have some dogs which shed every year. Patches fall of them. 157 00:18:36,840-->00:18:41,040 We must keep that. It's great wool. 158 00:18:41,200-->00:18:45,560 When I was younger, I started collecting dog's wool. 159 00:18:45,680-->00:18:51,600 Dog's wool warms better than sheep's wool. 160 00:18:51,720-->00:18:58,240 Especially Husky wool. They are outside all year. 161 00:19:00,680-->00:19:06,120 The tensile strength isn't good, so it's not for socks. 162 00:19:06,280-->00:19:12,720 I've made sweaters ... It's good for hats and mittens. 163 00:19:12,880-->00:19:19,360 You mix in sheep's wool. Why? 164 00:19:20,640-->00:19:26,840 A dog's inner wool is too short, it sticks poorly together - 165 00:19:26,960-->00:19:32,920 -when you spin. Sheep's wool has longer fibres. 166 00:19:39,880-->00:19:45,000 Many would think it odd that a modern woman spends time on this. 167 00:19:45,120-->00:19:48,760 It's easier to buy the yarn. 168 00:19:48,880-->00:19:53,920 Yes, but you can't buy this kind of yarn in stores. 169 00:19:55,520-->00:20:01,520 If you want good, warm yarn, you must do it yourself. 170 00:20:02,680-->00:20:10,080 We care about preserving things in food, trades and crafts. 171 00:20:11,200-->00:20:17,880 In the basket there are several different colours ... 172 00:20:18,000-->00:20:25,680 Plant couloring is another hobby. Mushroom colours are most exciting. 173 00:20:29,160-->00:20:33,400 What does resource efficiency mean to you? 174 00:20:33,520-->00:20:40,240 It's important in many ways. It's to use what's on the farm - 175 00:20:40,360-->00:20:47,760 -and preserve traditions. In a larger perspective, too. 176 00:20:47,880-->00:20:54,520 Not just buy, but care for and use what we have. 177 00:20:54,640-->00:20:59,240 Is self-sufficiency the goal? 178 00:20:59,360-->00:21:06,200 When we started, we were self-sufficient. We used everything. 179 00:21:06,320-->00:21:11,960 Cut lumber in the woods, built and sawed ... 180 00:21:12,080-->00:21:19,160 After growing larger, we need to shop in the stores, we as well. 181 00:21:20,240-->00:21:25,160 But the goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible. 182 00:21:25,920-->00:21:32,760 Also in a global context, with climate and all that? 183 00:21:32,880-->00:21:38,720 Yes. We care about preserving nature - 184 00:21:38,840-->00:21:44,600 -and pass it on to the kids without disturbing it. 185 00:21:47,240-->00:21:53,240 They know to use nature, summer and winter. 186 00:21:58,320-->00:22:02,560 They take many trips in the woods and fields, and mountains. 187 00:22:02,680-->00:22:07,040 The youngest children come along. The oldest aren't home. 188 00:22:07,160-->00:22:11,960 Anja is in New Zealand, but she has been here before. 189 00:22:12,080-->00:22:17,840 Sondre has moved to Trondheim, his mother's childhood town. 190 00:22:51,360-->00:22:56,800 After the mountain trip, Røssvatnet awaits sweaty bodies. 191 00:23:05,960-->00:23:12,800 By the campfire, the cheese is as obligatory as the coffee. 192 00:23:36,680-->00:23:41,120 They do some tourism as well. 193 00:23:41,240-->00:23:47,840 And now the hostess will make fresh bakeries for the visitors. 194 00:24:05,360-->00:24:10,360 Fresh flowers for decoration she won't have to go far for. 195 00:24:25,360-->00:24:29,000 It was wonderful! 196 00:24:29,120-->00:24:36,480 -You can have the recipe. -I'd love to. 197 00:24:41,920-->00:24:47,600 Others seek it out to experience nature. 198 00:24:47,720-->00:24:53,440 They can fish in the water by the farmhouses or other waters. 199 00:24:55,080-->00:25:00,920 Instead of a license, they pay for the size of the catch. 200 00:25:30,360-->00:25:35,360 Or they can wander on paths around Sæterstad. 201 00:25:44,080-->00:25:49,280 In the area where Knut vacationed in his youth, which tied him here, - 202 00:25:49,400-->00:25:55,200 - wanderers can enter a canoe and paddle through the landscape. 203 00:26:22,280-->00:26:27,280 Mom and pop moved to a rural place, and they invested in - 204 00:26:27,400-->00:26:33,760 - a tumbledown farm. But with faith in themselves and the future - 205 00:26:33,880-->00:26:40,120 - they have made a solid living. They have proved it's possible. 206 00:26:41,840-->00:26:47,720 What are the reasons for your success? 207 00:26:47,880-->00:26:54,800 There are many reasons. Knowledge is important to get - 208 00:26:54,920-->00:26:59,520 - and to know what you're doing. 209 00:26:59,640-->00:27:07,360 And learn from the old people. They greatly appreciate that, - 210 00:27:07,480-->00:27:13,000 - and we preserve tradition. 211 00:27:13,520-->00:27:17,960 You need courage as well? 212 00:27:18,080-->00:27:24,320 And patience. This takes time, after all. 213 00:27:25,720-->00:27:33,320 And food is profitable, as long as your product is good enough. 214 00:27:33,480-->00:27:37,440 Will there be more products? 215 00:27:37,560-->00:27:42,960 We envision many new products, maybe from the same raw materials. 216 00:27:43,080-->00:27:47,080 We talk about processing goat milk and fish. 217 00:27:48,760-->00:27:55,000 You talk as if you have the future ahead of you. One day it's over. 218 00:27:55,120-->00:28:01,160 Will your life's work go with you, or will someone take over? 219 00:28:01,280-->00:28:06,120 Oh, we're only halfway, plus minus 50. 220 00:28:06,240-->00:28:11,920 We have four kids and jobs for them all, if they want it. 221 00:28:12,040-->00:28:19,600 Especially two. Anja knows all about cheese and wants to live here. 222 00:28:19,720-->00:28:24,960 Marius, who studies agronomy, also wants to continue this. 223 00:28:25,080-->00:28:28,400 We think that is great. 224 00:28:30,400-->00:28:34,240