Have you become more concerned with gathering, picking or fishing your own food in recent years? Then you are not alone. From 2015 to 2020, almost 10 per cent of the population became more concerned with growing or picking their own food. Daniel Singh Bal (27) and Pelle Ramstedt (29) live off the food they find themselves. The fact that there is a war in Ukraine, rising interest rates and galloping inflation make the world more uncertain. Researchers believe the trend may have become more popular due to the troubled times we currently live in. Running over the mountain to school Daniel Singh Bal and Pelle Ramstedt found each other in the study environment at Nord University in Bodø. They soon found a common interest in nature. One thing led to another, and suddenly the two friends had moved into a small house in the woods. – We put some food, clothes and a towel in the cupboard at the university. Then we just run across the mountain, says Pelle Ramstedt on the way to school. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news The house is located in a place where there is only one bus a day. But there is no obstacle: – The shortest way to the university is only 11-12 km straight over the mountain, says Singh Bal. The two friends simply run across the mountain to school. For Singh Bal and Ramstedt, it is worth living so far from the place of study. This means that they can live closer to nature. – Daniel runs everywhere, always, says Pelle Ramstedt. Here, Singh Bal is on his way to collect a pair of diving goggles that Ramstedt has left behind in the house. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news – It’s absolutely fantastic to be up in the mountains a few hours before you start school, says Ramstedt. In the winter, they have to chop the wood they need to keep warm themselves. It can be heavy, especially when there is a lot of snow. But the two agree it’s worth it. More people want to become farmers – There is quite a lot of interest among young people who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, says Ole Dolmseth. He leads the project “Let us go – Youth into agriculture” for the Norwegian Farmers’ and Small Farmers’ Association (NBS). – Personally, I think the pandemic was an eye-opener for many, and that after that many wanted the freedom of living closer to nature, says Ole Dolmseth, project coordinator for Slipp oss til – Ungdom into agriculture. Photo: Natur og Ungdom They manage, among other things, a website for the purchase and sale of small farm properties on the condition that they must continue to be in operation. It has been very popular in recent years. Dolmseth, who is also involved in Nature and Youth, believes there has always been a movement of people who want to live a simpler life out in the countryside. – But now through social media such lifestyles have been exposed to many more people, he says, and adds: – For those associated with the climate and environmental movement, such a lifestyle appeals strongly. – Much of what we eat is very expensive in the shops, but out here in nature everything is free, says Daniel Singh Dal on his way out on a fishing trip. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news But Singh Bal and Ramstedt do not consider themselves the typical “climate youth”. – It’s probably a bit in the background, even if it’s not at the front of the forehead, says Singh Bal. Both study biology and are therefore interested in looking after nature. – Everyone must try to live more environmentally friendly. It comes very naturally to us, even if we don’t actively do it, says Ramstedt. Delivering more of the food we find It is not just the living situation of Ramstedt and Singh Bal in Bodø that is different. They mainly live on food they hunt, gather and find. – There is an incredible amount of fish in the sea and the forest here. So we fish, free-dive and gather, says Ramstedt. Daniel started with the lifestyle three years ago, while Pelle has lived this way for two years. – Although it is sometimes a bit tiring to live like this here, you also enjoy it more. If it has been a little extra cold, the reward is even greater. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news – It’s great to get what we need in this way, adds friend Singh Bal. The rest of what they need, which they cannot find in nature, they “dumster diver”. So they find it in the shops’ bins. In those cases where they cannot find essential basic goods such as salt, oil or toilet paper, they have to resort to a short shopping trip. – We usually go fishing or hunting together. Then it becomes a social activity too, and it becomes even more fun, says Daniel Singh Bal. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news – Historically, we have engaged in self-salvage and have not thrown anything away in Norway. That’s according to Annechen Bahr Bugge, researcher at the Consumer Research Institute SIFO at Oslo Met. – There is a lot of waste in the food chain. The latest calculations show that one in five carrier bags goes straight into the bin, says Annechen Bahr Bugge, researcher at the Consumer Research Institute SIFO. Photo: Eivind Røhne / OsloMet Bahr Bugge has been researching Norwegian eating habits for a number of years. SIFO studies have shown that berry picking, mushroom picking and fishing are popular seasonal activities. Six out of ten report that they have picked berries in forests and open fields in the past year. – There is a growing interest in such activities among everyone, including young people. But in general it is the case that well-to-do adults and the elderly are the most eager to engage in drug addiction, she says. Bahr Bugge says that historically, how good we have been at harvesting and gathering has both to do with the wallet, and the access to foreign foodstuffs. – The great development of prosperity in the food plate during the post-war period not only changed our eating patterns, but also our attitudes. Matauk gained less importance. FOOD PLATE: This is what large parts of the food plate of the two boys in Bodø look like. The two agree that it is extra great to find your food in the beautiful surroundings. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news During the war, for example, Norwegians lived with ration cards, and could not buy what they wanted in the shop. Then matauk, i.e. finding one’s own food, got an upswing. And precisely that, i.e. war and misery, may also be the reason why we get an urge to harvest today. Can be about troubled times Ingun Grimstad Klepp is researching sustainable textile consumption in SIFO. She has discovered a surprising interest that strikes us in times of crisis: We knit more. – Knitting is growing in uncertain times. There is greater interest in calm, primary and productive things when the world becomes uncertain. Ingun Grimstad Klepp, professor of clothing and sustainability at SIFO, has written about growing interest in knitting in times of crisis in his book “Norwegian knitting history”. Photo: Dina Danielsen/news Both during the corona pandemic and during the financial crisis in 2008, the research clearly sees that more people gravitate towards making their own clothes. – This can be seen as a response to the environmental crisis. It is, in a way, a retreat from a world that is running wild, says Klepp. In 20 years, there has been a doubling in the consumption of clothing. The researcher believes that many people are now discovering that they do not actually become happier by owning more. – There is an increased interest in the local resources, whether it concerns clothing or food, says Ingun Grimstad Klepp, professor of clothing and sustainability in SIFO at Oslo Met. Photo: Sonja Balci / Oslomet Researcher Bahr Bugge agrees that insecurity in the economy and in the image of society can also have an impact on how busy we are with harvesting and gathering. – It may well be that people feel a sense of security in it, because they do not know where it leads. At the same time, there may also be other aspects that come into play: – Most of us have very mental jobs. Then it is natural that we want practical pursuits in our spare time, such as gathering, harvesting and fishing, says Bahr Bugge. Involved in the whole process Daniel Singh Bal and Pelle Ramstedt have been in nature a lot since childhood. – The best thing is the freedom to be able to be in these environments, and get that peace of mind, says Ramstedt. CLOSE TO THE ANIMALS: – It is wonderful to live so close to nature. When I had only lived here for a few days, a sea eagle took off right next to me when I was going to look at the view, says Pelle Ramstedt. Photo: Sofie Retterstøl Olaisen / news What he likes best is that he gets to participate in the entire process, and follow the raw materials from the forest or the sea to the table. – There is nothing better that I know. Then we can use the energy in the food we find running over the mountain.
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Troubled times, war and a pandemic may be the reason why more people want to live more simply – news Nordland
