Organic dairy Farm

Nordland

17 reviews • Updated 11 months ago

Valla Farm is located on an beautiful island Handnesøya, we fantastic scenery with the nature forces close on our daily life. From sunny nights all summer long, to the cold, dark and storm full winter. And we must not forget the fantastic Aurora Borealis that often comes for a visit in the winter and late autumn. The farm is one of the oldest Organic Milk farms in Norway, its been Organic for the last 35 years. The farm and the island was pioneers in the Organic Farming when they started up, and the knowledge they collected is still in use today. I had the farm since February 2018. There is around 24 milking cows on the farm, in total there is around 70 cattle on the farm at all times. We produce around 200 tons of milk a year and harvest grass on around 70 hectare. There is also two cats on the farm, Johnanne and Stein. (Sadly enough daisy passed away in July 2023.) You will be joining in on the mainly tasks on an daily basis. mostly that would be doing the barn, milking, cleaning and feeding ☺️ Other than that it’s all season and weather based. You will get the possibility to learn new skills, get more knowledge about organic farming and Norwegian farming in general. My motivation is that you as a woofer can grow as a person and go home with new experiences and skills. You most likely will do stuff that you never dreamed of mastering by your own☺️ here we let everyone try something if they want to👏🏻 learning by doing, and sometimes failing. We eat dinner after evening barn and have Breakfast/lunch after morning barn and discuss the work of the day. food are available in the fridge at any time. We are attending the local life on the island when there are things happening🤗 like 17. May, which is the national day of Norway, and is a big celebration. Or if there is a party at the local community house 🥳 What are you waiting on? Big plan for 2025 is building a kitchen garden👏🏻 it’s new to me so that will be a learning process for me to🤓 Certifications: debio

Learning opportunities

Cattle farming

Dairy farming

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Mechanics / tools / technology

Host type

Production farm

Certified organic

100 Hectares | 247.1 Acres

Accommodation

3 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Camper / RV

Children accepted

Pets accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Mads

Member since 2018

Languages spoken: English, Norwegian Response rate: 93% Response time: typically within 6 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

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Nordland

Mo i Rana

Reviews

Lara

Germany • October 2025

My time at Valla gård has been such an amazing experience! I’ve spend there three weeks (September-October). Mads is a cool host, who created a relaxed atmosphere. It was so much fun spending time at his house. He cares a lot about us feeling safe and well supplied, even though we didn’t really got to see him during the last week, which was also a bit chaotic sometimes ;) Moreover, I want to thank the other Wwoofers, who have been there during this time: Oscar, Marie and Jonathan. They made my stay somehow more familiar. You guys are great! <3 It was cool, learning how to milk cows and the work with the animals was really enriching. The landscape is breathtaking and we marveled the northern lights each evening in the first two weeks. It was a great opportunity to get to know new people, to learn new techniques and to grow personally through it. It has been amazing three weeks! I would definitely recommend it! Thank you, Mads! And thank you all!

Alisa

Italy • August 2025

As a prelude, I would like to thank my comrades who made my stay at Valla Gard unforgettable - Lucka, Shtepana, Amelie, Louis, Baby Mads was the best boss I have ever had! Very polite, respectful and kind. The instructions were always clear, no questions needed. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see any cows giving birth, but a cow pedicure - yes. Also, if you want to have more adventures on the island, there is a local immersive museum called “The Myth, the Legend, Nikolay”, 100% recommend. Loved it! Miss it! Thank you very Mads! P.s. Mamma Mia playlist is the best choice of music to do the barn

Kristian

Netherlands • December 2024

I had such an amazing time during my stay at Valla Farm with Mads! I spent 5 weeks (from November to December) on the farm where I got to learn a lot about farming in the north and carpentry, together with the other WWOOFers. Mads is an excellent host who knows how to take good care of his guests and create a fun and relaxed atmosphere. I had some prior experience working on a dairy farm, but still learned a lot from him and the differences from back home. The day usually consisted of milking the cows both in the morning and evening, which I enjoyed a lot :). In the afternoon we worked on smaller tasks around the farm which were diverse and definitely taught me some new skills. I am so thankful that I got to accompany Mads on his day to day life and learn about Norway and his inspiring farming journey. All in all, I would highly recommend planning a stay on Mads' farm so you can also enjoy the gorgeous island, the sweet cows and some good Norwegian tv during your meal ;)!

Astrid

Italy • December 2024

I really enjoyed staying at Mads' farm. I learned so much during these weeks, not only about farming and milking cows, but also about carpentry, welding and mechanic (thanks a lot for teaching so much). I've never worked in a farm before, so my knowledge was almost nothing, but Mads was always willing to explain things multiple times if I didn't understand, and had great trust in us wwoofers even for important tasks. The tasks varied a lot, so there was always something new to learn, and it was never boring (for example we were always listening to music in the barn or just chatting with the other wwoofers :)) What else can I say... The food was delicious, the landscape was stunning and the atmosphere was really nice, so if you're looking for a fun experience where you can learn new skills and improve yourself, don't miss the opportunity to go to Valla farm! Thanks again for everything Mads, I'll be back for sure! :)

Katarína

Slovakia • November 2024

Our stay at Mads farm was our first wwoof experience and we could not choose better. Our stay took about a month in september 2024. Mads is really friendly and bubbly person. We had really good time during the lunches and dinners. It is inspiring to meet someone who is passionate about his job and it is apparent that Mads love his farm and animals. He knows a lot and he is willing to share his knowledge if you are interested. The main tasks involved morning and evening milking, cleaning the barn etc. Since we did it twice a day, we learnt the stuff quite quickly. The island and its nature is really beautiful. Overall, Mads farm is wonderful place to stay. During off-days we either borrowed Mads bicycles and rode for trips to neighbouring islands or we went for a hike. We had an amazing time and we would do it again. Thank you, Mads :) P.S. we saw the northern lights 🙂

Lisa

France • August 2024

Staying at Mads' farm was really Amazing ! It can ofc be a bit tiring at times, but the way Mads makes you feel at home, the way he cooks very good food (even pasta pizza....) for you, and also the surroundings, the view and the cows make up for everything! I really learned a lot, especially about myself, and I felt safe to allow different emotions, make mistakes and ask for help, because Mads only wants the best for his woofers. And I hope you want to have some fun too, because you won't miss it here hihi Anyway, I'm not gonna spoil everything, y'all should check it by yourself :))) Thank you Mads <3