Old Norse sheep and extensive coastal heathland management based on traditional practices. Kitchen g
Vestland
Tangenes is a small farm located on an island at the very western edge of Norway – as far west as you can go. We are a couple, aged 53 and 65, living on the farm with our mixed-breed dog Mika. We raise Old Norse sheep – a primitive breed that has grazed the coastal heathlands here for thousands of years. Through traditional grazing and controlled burning, we help maintain this endangered landscape, which is quickly disappearing.
Trude is a trained organic agronomist from Sogn Jord- og Hagebruksskule, as well as a social and special education teacher. She works full-time as a director in a large organization, so farming is not her main occupation. Tom is a retired fisherman who now works as a skipper on the local passenger boats between the islands.
On the farm, we have a kitchen garden and a small greenhouse built from old windows. Down by the sea, we also have a boathouse, a seaside shed, and a wood-fired sauna.
There is internet access in the house, but mobile phone coverage is a bit limited in the area. We usually make calls using Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi calling). Trude works from a home office, and the connection works well for that.
When Trude bought the farm in 2010, it had been abandoned for almost 50 years. We are still in the process of reclaiming the land – clearing brush, digging drainage ditches, removing weeds, setting up fences, and cutting back unwanted trees (especially Sitka spruce, which spreads aggressively and damages the heathland). From 15 September to 15 April, we practice traditional controlled burning to regenerate the heather.
We would love to teach WWOOFers about the life of the traditional Norwegian "fisher-farmer" – people who have lived and survived in this rugged landscape for centuries. No two days are alike, and much depends on the weather. We check on the sheep several times a week, give them a bit of supplemental feed 3–4 times weekly, and depending on the season, we also work on fencing, ditch digging, brush clearing, firewood, house painting, gardening, haymaking, and more.
We enjoy good food and value shared mealtimes. We often eat local fish, lamb, and venison from the farm. Breakfast is usually just a quick slice of bread on the go, but we always eat dinner together around 6–7 pm (sometimes later if there's work to finish). When we’re home, we also eat lunch together – usually simple: bread, porridge, or a salad.
We live in a large, old house with many bedrooms and plenty of space. There is one bathroom
We love our life by the ocean and enjoy the outdoors. We often go hiking in the mountains, and Trude is a certified kayak instructor and works part-time as a guide in the summer. Tom runs island-hopping boat trips for tourists. Trude enjoys cooking, traveling, and gardening – though she often lacks the time because of her job. Tom enjoys all kinds of farm work, reading, and travel.
In your free time, there are great opportunities for coastal outdoor activities. The nearby village of Hardbakke (10 km away) is the center of the municipality , This is a small community with only 750 citizens ,but pretty international with people from over 26 nationalities.
WWOOFers are welcome to use our sauna and borrow a canoe. Kayaks and equipment can also be borrowed, but only by those who hold a “våttkort” (Norwegian paddling certificate) or an equivalent qualification. Occasionally, there may be an opportunity to join Trude on a paddling course to obtain the våttkort – at cost price
Tangenes er en gård som ligger i en øykommune , så langt vest som det går an å komme i Norge. Vi er et par på 53 og 65 år som bor på gården og driver med gammalnorsk sau- en ur sau som har beitet på disse lyngheiene i flere tusen år. ved å brenne og beite lyngheiene holder vi i hevd en truet naturtype som er i ferd med å forsvinne. Vi har en blandingshund som heter Mika. Trude er utdannet økologisk agronom ved Sogn Jord og Hagebrukskule, i tillegg til sosial pedagog og spesialpedagog. Tom er pensjonert fisker , men er fortsatt skipper på de lokale båtrutene i øyene. Trude jobber som daglig leder i en større organisasjon, og er ikke bonde på heltid. det er anlagt en grønnsakhage på bruket , og et hobbydrivhus som vi har bygget av gamle vinduer. Vi har også sjøbu, naust og sauna ved sjøen.
Da Trude kjøpte gården i 2010 hadde den vært fraflyttet i nesten 50 år. Vi driver fortsatt å rydder kratt og busker, lager grøfter, fjerner starr og ugras, setter opp gjerder, hogger ned uønsket skog( sitkagran som sprer seg og ødelegger i kystlyngheien) om vinteren ( fra 15. september- 15 april brenner vi i landskapet for å få frem ny lyng, etter gamle tradisjonelle driftsmetoder. ) Vi ønsker å lære Woofere om hvordan fiskerbonden har levd og klart seg i dette landskapet i 100-vis av år. her er ingen dager like. Mye er væravhengig. Vi ser etter sauene , og gir dem litt kraftfor ihvertfall 3-4 ganger i uken. Avhengig av årstid lager vi grøfter, setter opp gjerder/ reparerer gjerder, rydder busker og trær, maler hus, hogger ved, steller i hagen, slår og hesjer.
Vi er opptatt av god mat og at måltidene skal være sosiale. Vi bruker mye lokal fisk, og sau og hjort fra gården. Vi spiser sjelden felles frokost, da er det som regel bare en skive på vei ut. Alltid felles middag rundt bordet på kvelden( når vi er hjemme) , ca 18-19 tiden- noen ganger senere hvis det er arbeid som må gjøres ferdig først. Om vi er hjemme spiser ofte en felles lunsj også, som oftest brødmat , havregraut eller en enkel salat . Vi har et stort gamalt hus med mange soverom og god plass.
Det er internett i huset, men mobildekningen i området er litt dårlig. Derfor bruker vi tale via wifi-funksjonen på mobilen. det går veldig bra.
På fritiden er det mulighet for kystfriluftsliv. I hardbakke er det et internasjonalt miljø , og kommunen har over 26 ulike nasjonaliteter boende. Wooferne kan låne badstu og kano, men må ha våttkort eller tilsvarende for å låne kajakker og utstyr. (noen ganger vil det være mulighet til å være med Trude på kurs for å få våttkortet til kostpris. )
Vi elsker å leve her i havgapet og liker friluftsliv. Vi går ofte fjellturer og Trude er kajakinstruktør og jobber delvis som guide om sommeren. Tom Kjører rutebåt og øyhopping for turistene. Trude liker å lage mat , reise og jobbe i hagen/ drivhuset, men har ofte for lite tid, da lederjobben krever mye. Tom liker å jobbe med ulike oppgaver på gården , lese og reise.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Sheep or goat farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Meat processing
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Green Building
Methods or systems
No-till farming
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
880
Hectares
|
2,174.5
Acres
Trude
Member since 2025
Languages spoken:
English, Norwegian
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 97%
Response time: typically within 6 days
Vestland
Flesland Airport ( Bergen) Bringeland airoport (Førde)Bergen trainstation , Bergen or Førde Buss-station
Reviews
Petra
Italy
•
September 2025
After a long and very nice journey from Oslo by train passing through Hardangervidda, I arrived Bergen, took the boat to Krakhella, arriving there I had the sensation of arriving in a place where the natural forces are very strong. Tangenes gård is a very nice farm, far from all, it is an amazing place and Trude and Tom are very kind persons, I felt myself at home! I did long walks with Mika and I found a lot of mushrooms “steinsopp” and “kantarell” – this place is a paradise!I did different works with Trude and Tom or alone: taking care of the plants in the green house and repot them, some works in the potato field, cut juniper, making the hay, preparing a part of the house that should be painted and paint it, changing the batteries of a little transmitter of the sheep; they are free all the time and there are a lot of rocks. They gave me a lot of information about sheep and told me about the life of fisherman, their life and the life of people living there in the past. It was a very nice experience, I took with me a lot of new impressions and knowledge.I loved to go for a walk with Mika! We went with their boat to Stongfjorden, a village that’s very interesting for the local geology and industry, Trude had a meeting there, she works for the “Fjordkysten Regional- og Geopark” a Unesco global Geoparc. Coming back she jumped in the sea to take mussels, it was a delicious dinner!Bring warm clothes and hiking boots with you also during the sommer. Tusen, tusen tak Trude and Tom
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Lio
Sweden
•
August 2025
Tangenes farm is situated quite isolated in a very beautiful and unique landscape. Tangene is somewhat remote but our hosts helped us plan our journey to and from Tangenes (from Bergen).
We enjoyed working outside around the farm. We got to do various tasks in the fields surrounding the farm and on the farm itself. One afternoon we helped with the sheep. We primarily worked on our own but also together with Trude. Often the dog Mika was nearby.
We were lucky with the weather, many sunny days. There were some work clothes we could borrow on site.
Trude and Tom were kind and pleasant to socialise and chat with. Trude cooked lovely dinners for us, and sometimes we got to help. We took care of our own breakfast and made a simple lunch.
In our free time, we hiked in the area, swam, and paddled with the farm's canoe. Due to various circumstances, we didn't have many days on site. If we had been there longer, it would have been great to travel around a bit on the islands. All in all we had a very nice stay.
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Anne
Germany
•
June 2025
After a long journey by train, ferry and bus, I was picked up by Tom and driven to their beautiful house. I lived in my own large room in the house for the two weeks. We cooked and ate together. The landscape, surroundings and space of the house are really unique and beautiful. I was lucky with the weather and was able to do many tasks outside, but these were limited to work on the house and surrounding grounds (painting, landscaping, small renovations, fence building) rather than working with the sheep. The 26 sheep (+ many cute lambs) run around freely on the large grounds and are therefore rather independent and self-sufficient. However, they often kept me company during my work, when Trude and Tom were out from time to time, because both are still working. They both speak English very well, so communication was no problem at all.
The stay there was really wonderful. The experiences Trude and Tom have had since buying the house and the conversations about their work in the coastal region are also very interesting. I can only recommend the stay, but take warm clothes with you, because even in summer it often rained or winded. Good shoes are also a great idea, also for walks and hikes with her dog Mika. Thank you for these great two weeks, hope to see you soon!
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