Orchard, Family farm

Vestland

12 reviews • Updated 16 days ago

I run a farm beautifully situated at a quiet bay by the famous Sognefjord. The farm is about 17 acres with orchard, with fruits, berries and vegetables. In addition the farm has about 360 acres of woodland. The orchard are mainly large, old trees of apples, pears and plum. The fruit production are certified organic through the local juiceproducer (Balholm AS), and it is where I sell the apples and pears. The vegetables are mostly for my own use and for friends, 100%organic (but not certified), but sell some to a local restaurant. The raspberries are commercial and partly konventional (but not with pesticides). Raspberries are sold to local hotels and private families. I also like to pick wild berries in the woods and make desserts or jam. Accomodation is in a seperate room in one of the two farmhouses. Depending on the season I eat organic food, salad, potatoes, vegetables and fruit desserts from our garden. I also prepare fish and sometimes wild meat (locally hunted deer). In addition we buy food in the local shop like egg, pasta, bread, baked beans, other meatproducts etc. If the local shop has it, I try to buy organic, or at least products from Norway. On bread I like to eat cheese or hommemade jam. I need help most of the spring, summer and autumn. Gardening, harvest and maintainance. We used to have sheeps on the farm until some years ago. Balestrand and surroundings are perfect if you seek adventures in the nature, hiking mountains, glacier or fishing in the fjord. Balestrand is a small community but has long tradition of hosting tourists. In the summer season there are cafes, restaurants and hotels, organized activities and daytrips. The hiking routes are well marked and also easy to find on your own. The light and nature of Balestrand has also a tradition of being a place for creativity and art. If you share my Christian belief you are also welcome to join in prayer fellowship during the day. I have studied organic agriculture part time for 2 years at university level, and try to practice what I have learned in my garden. I have also in addittion a year study of general farming, course at a local high school. Organic methods: Composting food waste, garden waste, seaweed, sheep muck etc. Crop rotation in wegetable garden. planting flowers for bumble bees. Seking to have variety of plants. Without chemicals (fruits, vegetables, potatoes, flowers) Certifications: Balholm AS Current projects: August, september, october: harvest the fruits and vegetables and potatoes, cutting grass, preserving food, composting, planning garden for next year. Picking wild berries. If some with carpenter skills could help me I am considering hen house, putting up fences or other maintainance at the farm. Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Flower farming

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Methods or systems

Holistic management

Host type

Production farm

Certified organic

153.8 Hectares | 380 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

Ingrid

Member since 2018

Languages spoken: English, German, Norwegian Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 2 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Vestland

Thue Sør (bus stop)

Reviews

Brigita

Slovakia • November 2025

Ingrid is a wonderful host. Our meeting was a bit unplanned and considering that I spent almost a month in the mountains in Norway, I was glad that Ingrid took me in for a few days. I appreciate her hospitality and tried to help her at least a little with tying raspberries. Those were truly wonderful days for me. I learned a lot about the history of her grandparents' farm and the desire to preserve this message for future generations. It is a beautiful little farm that enchanted me. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to meet you Ingrid. You are an amazing person with a big heart. Thank you 🫶

Adèle

France • November 2025

Our first woofing experiences was at Ingrid’s home and it was really nice. We are so glad to have stayed there for 5 days, even if we could have stayed longer. We are very happy to have been able to discover Ingrid and her daily life. We really enjoyed Balestrand, especially the view on the fjord. Ingrid is a wonderful host, she explained us so many things about Norwegian culture and gastronomy and was always happy to answer our questions. She recommended us some beautiful hikes in the surroundings. She’s a beautiful soul that you should meet if you want to experience an enjoyable stay !

Robin

France • September 2025

I spent two wonderful weeks at Ingrid’s farm in Balestrand, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Ingrid is a beautiful soul — warm, kind, and genuinely caring. She makes you feel at home from the very first moment, and her generosity and positive energy make this place special. During my stay, I mainly harvested apples, pears, and potatoes, but I also helped with a variety of other farm tasks. The work was varied, well-paced, and enjoyable. Balestrand itself is absolutely stunning — a charming village surrounded by breathtaking mountains and fjords. Talking about fjord, I loved swimming in the fjord every day, which was an amazing way to relax after work. Ingrid also shared so much about the local life, history, and culture, and gave fantastic advice for hikes and exploring the area. Thanks to her guidance, I discovered some truly incredible spots in the surrounding nature. Staying at Ingrid’s farm was not just about the work; it was also about experiencing a peaceful, authentic life in harmony with nature, and learning from someone with such a beautiful heart. I can wholeheartedly recommend this place — it’s an experience I will always remember and cherish.

Agnieszka

Germany • September 2025

We had a very lovely stay at Ingrid’s farm for about a week, and we were very happy with the experience. Ingrid is such a warm and kind person who truly cares about her guests. We really enjoyed our time there. The work was not too difficult and quite varied. As our first experience with this project, we consider it a great success. On top of that, the location is truly unique, offering a variety of beautiful landscapes to discover – both for those traveling by car and for those looking for mountain hikes. We warmly recommend this place and once again would like to say a big thank you!

Alizée

France • August 2025

We spent a nice time with Ingrid. We stayed in a house with beautiful views on the fjord and we cooked our own meals. While we were there we helped Ingrid with haversting fruit, stacking some wood and cleaning up rasberry bushes. Ingrid explained many things about the history of Balestrand and kindly drove us to the starting point of a hike in the mountains.

Maria Rita

Italy • August 2025

My stay at Ingrid's farm was awesome! She is a very welcome host, I really enjoyed meet her and spend a week on her beautiful farm in front of the fiord. The work was balanced and Ingrid always explained the task to me; in my days at Tue I have for the most weeded and picked berries. I also had the time to explore the place and I did a incredible trakking thanks to Ingrid's suggestions and advices. The nature around the farm and the village of Balestrand is stunning! I can only raccomend Ingrid and her farm, she is a fantastic host and person! I'm really happy to my week at her place in Balestrand.