Family farm

Vestfold og Telemark

24 reviews • Updated 5 months ago

Do you like animals, nature, sustainability, building prodjects, forestry and a swim in the river? Come stay with us, and help us out on our small farm in Svenseid, Telemark. We are Svein and Kristine (42), and our three children: Oliver (19) Stella (15) and Vilje (10). Our farm consists of 10 hectares of forest, 5 hectares of cultivated land and some pastures. We are self-sufficient with meat, eggs and vegetables. We collect timber for materials from our forest, using both horse and tractor. Our ideology is to make use of the available resources in a sustainable way. We strive to buy as little as possible, or buy secondhand, to mainly eat what’s available due to season and to make use of old things in new ways. We enjoy working together with other likeminded people, and to share and trade resources and knowledge. We do not strive for a big income, and our goal is for our farm to be a good place to live for people and animals. A place to implement ones creative ideas, to do exiting projects, and where everyone has a place and a purpose. As an example we use our pigs to “plow”, work and fertilize the soil. They also handle much of our household and garden waste. In a world going too fast forward, we try to take a step back and find inspiration and knowledge from old traditional ways, making good choices combining old and new ideas and techniques. In addition to daily routines such as taking care of the animals, exercising the horses, weeding, cooking, baking bread and all sorts of maintenance, there will be haying, logging, processing and conservation of food, spinning of wool, harvesting plants, berries and mushrooms (depending on the season). And of course, there`s always some fences to repair. We have a lot of different animals and we often end up taking care of new ones. We have many building-projects in the immediate future. There among a greenhouse, restoration of an old wooden house (in progress) and an outdoor kitchen with a stone oven and smoking facilities for meat and fish. With three children, their after school activities and social events, days can be quite hectic. So you need to be independent, trustworthy and cooperative. We have summer lodging in old wooden houses, with an outdoor toilet in the barn and an outdoor shower. Or you can take a swim in the river or the lake. We also a guestroom inside our house for winter stays. The living room and kitchen in the main house is always open and food is always available in our kitchen, but preparing meals and eating together when possible is something we value. Activities to enjoy are fishing, horseback riding, hiking and swimming in the backyard river or in the small lake. In the winter you can go cross-country skiing from outside the door or drive 20 min to alpine facilities. The farm is situated a few minutes from Bø, a small town with stores, cultural activities and a train station. We’re looking for practical people who are genuinely interested in what we do and share our values. You must handle hard work and like working with animals, and enjoy the peace and quiet life in the countryside. We’re especially looking for someone who has experience with horses, carpentry or mechanics, but it’s not a must. We always have a lot of projects going on, and we are very grateful for everyone that wants to come help us out. We are so amazed by all the wonderful people that comes here to stay with us, and so grateful for all the help you contribute with!

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Poultry farming

Pig farming

Sheep or goat farming

Forestry

Wild foraging

Seed saving or production

Meat processing

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Traditional crafts

Methods or systems

Animal drafting

Holistic management

No-till farming

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

17 Hectares | 42 Acres

Accommodation

4+ WWOOFers

Bedroom

Campsite

Yurt / Tipi

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children accepted

Pets accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Svein and Kristine

Member since 2017

Languages spoken: English, Norwegian Response rate: 37% Response time: typically within 7 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Vestfold og Telemark

There’s a train station in Bø, where we can pick you up.

Reviews

Paula

Germany • September 2025

I had the best time at Svein‘s and Kristine‘s farm! I stayed with them for almost 2 months during the summer and it was amazing. The two of them and their children are super nice and welcoming and I felt at home right from the start. All their animals are super cute and treated with a lot of love and respect. There is loads to learn and do like caring for the vegetable gardens, making firewood, fencing, picking a lot of berries, taking care of all the animals, haymaking and so on… Svein and Kristine also really want you to have a great time and I enjoyed going to the lake in the afternoons, horseriding in the beautiful forest or long talks on the veranda. If you like living close to nature and animals and don’t mind being a little dirty from time to time I can really recommend their farm!

Sophie

United States • August 2025

Truly a wonderful WWOOF experience. Dalen Gard is a magical little farm and the whole family is so kind. They make amazing, creative food from the garden and the woods, they care deeply for their animals, and they have so much knowledge to share about organic agriculture and sustainable living. Most importantly, Svein and Kristine are such caring people who genuinely appreciate the help of every WWOOFer they host. If you're thinking about coming here, do it! If you have the opportunity to stay for a long time, do that too!

Geertje

Netherlands • July 2024

Svein and Kristine are such welcoming people, with kind, energetic children and a great place to stay at. I had not WWOOF'ed before and I have had the most splendid time. I learned much, as they were both open to questions, even when my questions weren't very smart ;). It was inspiring to see their steady workpace and the results it reaped. I felt appreciated, laughed a lot, had good conversations and experienced many new things. Our schedule allowed for adventures easily, as it was quite flexible . My first experience with WWOOF was a big hit and it was entirely thanks to this family. I hope to see them again.

Linus

United States • July 2024

I had a really amazing time here alongside 3 other wwoofers. The family welcomed me with open arms and immediately I felt comfortable and happy around them. I really like the way Svein and Kristine approach life, and had some good conversations with them. They also have a great sense of humor! There was always a variety of tasks to do around the farm, and some days were more filled than others, but it never felt overwhelming. After working we would go swim in the beautiful lake and cool off. I was only here for a short week and I really hope to come back one day soon!

Kathrin

Germany • September 2023

I stayed six weeks at Sveins and Kristines place and I did'nt regret spending this long time with them. The whole family is so open minded and even the children I had the pleasure to meet were the best company to play and explore with. I really felt like being a part of the family, which is why I did'nt miss my home and family for a second. First I thought, that the incredibly beautiful nature will be the best thing I will experience in Norway. But in the end the evenings with the family having conversations or playing games, were the moments I will keep in mind as my personal Norway-Highlights. I don't exaggerate when I say that these six weeks in the summer of Norway were the best six weeks in my whole life. Except for the weather, that was completely stupid to say the least it was quite funny to do the hay (at least at the first day xD) or repairing fences and of course care for the animals or helping in the garden. Leaving your comfort zone and experiencing life in connection with nature is, what you can do here. Everyone , who is not quite sure yet which farm would be the best for their experience, I can totally say that it's defenetly Svein and Kristines place. And like me, maybe you will leave after your stay and feel the sudden urge to come back and visit them in the next year. At least I would like to do that. Thank you Svein and Kristine and the whole family for this unforgettable time. With kind regards, Kathrin (from (K)ackhausen xD)

Jens

Germany • September 2023

For me it was my second wwoof experience and I can only recommend Svein and Kristine's farm to anyone who loves nature, animals, children and handicraft projects. I was on the farm for 4 weeks and the first few days were not easy to get used to, but in the end I didn't want to leave. I was able to learn so many new things, whether it was about farming, woodwork, lifestyles, raising children ... the family is a real enrichment for my life. The work on the farm was very varied. We worked a lot with the animals, made hay and did some small and big handicraft projects. The working hours were very flexible and there were days when we worked more, but in return we sometimes got an extra day off or went for a ride with the horses. The highlight of the day was always the dinner together and the good conversations during dinner. The family is always open to suggestions and changes and you can contribute your own knowledge. I am extremely grateful for my time with Svein and Kristine and would count it as a positive life-changing experience.