Family farm

Innlandet

40 reviews • Updated 1 year ago

We are a small group of people running a small farm with many different productions. In winter we have 70 sheep, horses, and 4-5 cows . We are not vegetarian, sometimes we slaughter animals. We try to maintain the landscape we live in, in a way that gives room to all kind of animal, insects and plants. Here you can view our farm on Google Earth: https://earth.google.com/web/search/sparstad/@61.14608687,8.56374228,498.9943382a,0d,60y,18.24341477h,91.38035803t,0r/data=CigiJgokCeoLqo_GnE5AERGw9ywsl05AGVWi7dd1NCFAIckuvwpd-SBAIhoKFk9GeFBSRG5jNkxHbm5aTjRXbm9lWEEQAg Organic methods: Focus on variety on natural terms. Certifications: We are a mixed group and do not fit in anywhere. Current projects: We are restoring a stream for irrigation purposes and repairing old houses all year long. In the different seasons we focus on: - winter: Feeding animals, preparing firewood for the winter, maintaining houses, maybe fixing fish nets spring: lambing season, gardening (sowing, planting, weeding) , fixing fences - summer: Hay harvesting, gardening, fishing in the lake - summer farm: We have some micro tourism with cows, cheesemaking up in the mountains. Here Jan's sister is the boss. Sometimes we work together and our WWOOFers take part in this. - autumn: Harvesting vegetables and potatoes, processing food (pickling, sauerkraut, chili sauce, meat products) gathering sheep from the mountains, Everyone on the farm take their turn making dinner.. ( we don´t have a housewife ;-) ) We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together but sleep in different houses. How to get here: take the Valdresekspressen (bus) from Oslo Airport or Oslo Bussterminal to Hugavike. We can pick you up at the bus stop. See https://www.nor-way.no/ruter/valdresekspressen/ for the time schedules and purchasing tickets. Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Grain farming

Sheep or goat farming

Dairy farming

Meat processing

Methods or systems

Holistic management

Host type

Production farm

8.1 Hectares | 20 Acres

Accommodation

3 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Children accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Jan

Member since 2020

Languages spoken: English, German, Norwegian Response rate: 91% Response time: typically within 7 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Innlandet

Hugavike

Reviews

Annemieke

United States • November 2025

Jan and Tanaquil were amazing hosts, I would highly recommend them. Firstly, they were so kind to accommodate me staying for just a brief week —although I wish it could have been longer. Even though my stay was brief they still made a great effort to connect me with their projects and provided me with opportunities for learning, I think that this is really exceptional. A big thing that stood out to me about Jan, Tanaquil and their community is their welcoming and trustworthy nature —because of this I think everyone can find something special here for them. Thank you so much for a very special week, I hope to return to Sparstad in the near future :)

Reply from Jan

thank you for nice words, Annemieke <3

Isidora

Chile • November 2025

Jan and Tanaquil, Thank you so much for this wonderful month at Sparstad, it was a very special experience for us! It was amazing to learn about your way of life and how you take care of your animals…it’s truly admirable! We really enjoyed being part of the sheep routine and helping out with the tasks you gave us. It was such a lovely time :) and we were able to learn so many interesting things. You live in an incredible place, surrounded by mountains and with a spectacular lake! (Highly recommended to take a daily plunge!). There are also so many things to do on your days off… We’re leaving with many lessons learned and wonderful memories that we’ll carry with us forever! We also want to thank Katti for giving us the chance to milk the beautiful cows and showing us how she makes her amazing butter! It was such a fun experience! The accommodation is in a house for WWOOFers, perfectly equipped and very comfortable! As for the meals, they are always hearty and made with delicious ingredients and accompanied by great conversations! Thank you, Jan, for your good sense of humor, your great patience when teaching and all the good moments, we truly admire your attitude and way of looking at life! We wish you all the best, and it was a real pleasure to share this time with you :) Los chilenos

Reply from Jan

Welcome back!!! Next time: Empanadas <3

Lorena

Germany • September 2025

I had an amazing time at the ranch! Jan and Tanaquil run a truly loving and welcoming place, and I felt very comfortable and at home during my stay. I hope I get the chance to visit them again soon.

María

Spain • August 2025

This has been our first experience as wwoofers and it’s been incredible. Jan, Taniquil and Benedicte made us feel at home at all times. The tasks were varied and engaging, and Jan took into account each persons’s experience and abilities when assigning tasks. We also met some really nice volunteers, and the highlight was definitely the shared meals where we talked about all sort of things with open minds. We would highly recommend this farm to anyone!!

Melanie

Austria • August 2025

This was one of the most welcoming places I have ever been. There was always something going on and many people visiting and leaving, which made the atmosphere lively and open. The work was varied and engaging, offering a good balance between learning new tasks and having free time to explore the area. I particularly appreciated the openness, honesty and the trust I was shown—it really made me feel included and welcome. I especially enjoyed the shared meals, where the conversations were captivating, fun and thought-provoking. Thank you for everything, it was truly an unforgettable stay!

Alexi

France • August 2025

What a month ! I have met incredible people, in a family who will always do everything to make your stay as good as possible ! Thank you so much Jan and Tanaquil !