Herad

Herad is not quite like other villages in southern Norway. The sea lies some distance away, so you can hardly call it a coastal village. Nor is it really an inland village. Because the sea is close all the same, in the shape of fjords winding into the landscape. Herad is simply a fjord village – and in fact the only village in southern Norway that is one through and through, at least according to the book “Herad – bygda mellom fjorder og fjell” (Herad – the village between fjords and mountains).

Herad is divided into several smaller hamlets: Drange, Frøynes, Sande and Åpta.

The roughly 100 residents of Herad have plenty of space. In some places the houses are quite far apart, so this could be the dream village for anyone looking for peace and quiet. Here you can get plenty of land to grow vegetables, keep a few hens or give the children room to run free.

But do not think the villagers are cut off from what a town has to offer. Farsund town is only between 15 and 25 minutes away by car, depending on where in Herad you live. So shops, culture, cafés, restaurants and nightlife are never far off.

– Here in Herad it is nature that plays the leading role in our free time, says Sverre. He is a keen hiker himself. Here you can fish in the fjord, pick berries and mushrooms in the forest and take in the view from the mountain tops.

At Åpta, a family with young children has found happiness and made nature their livelihood. Nina Opofte, Bjarne Tysse Høgelid and their children made a big life choice in 2017: they left city life in Bergen and moved to the Svindal farm, which had been in Nina's family.

– Looking back, I think it may have been an advantage that we did not quite know how much work we were taking on. Most of what Svindal gård is today has grown little by little since we came here, says Nina.

The young couple care about living in harmony with nature, without living the way people did a hundred years ago.

– For us it is very much about seeing which resources already exist on the land and trying to use them well, instead of forcing the farm to be something it is not. Our sheep are a good example. Old Norwegian sheep are well suited to grazing outfields and coastal heathland, and they turn grass, heather, herbs and other vegetation we humans cannot eat into food. At the same time, grazing is important for keeping the cultural landscape open. The hay meadow is another example. It gives us hay, but tending it also helps preserve a species-rich cultural landscape.

– I also think it is about accepting that we are not in control of everything. The seasons, the weather, the growth and the animals set the terms. You learn to observe more and to adapt to what is actually happening around you, says Nina.

It can sound like a nice, brochure-style thing to say, “living close to nature”. But for Nina, Bjarne and the children, it is simply how life is lived, plain and simple. It is not about planning the next summit hike or finding an Instagram-friendly spot by the fjord.

– Nature is not something we have to plan a trip to. It is part of everyday life all the time, both through running the farm and otherwise, says Nina.

– We follow the weather, the seasons, the water level, the animals, the vegetation and the landscape much more closely than before. When you both live in and from nature, you also get a different relationship with it. It is not just a view, but something you feel responsible for looking after.

In Svindal, Åpta, Herad (depending on your point of view) it is a small community. Mind you, Farsund town, with everything a small town has to offer, is only some 15–20 minutes away by car. Even so, Herad is very rural. It is village life with starry, silent nights. At times it is a long way to the nearest neighbour. But it is also a place where everyone knows everyone – and cares about each other.

– One of the finest things about village life is how natural it is to help each other. You borrow equipment, ask the neighbours for advice, get help when something is urgent and try to return the favour when others need it, says Nina.

A few regular events bring the villagers (and the cabin owners) together in style. The biggest is the 17 May celebration at Camp Åpta. The campsite has a sandy beach, a swimming pool, hiking trails and plenty of room for celebrating Norway's national day.

– The 17 May celebration is something just about everyone joins in, says Sverre.

– The children play, there are speeches and ice cream and everything that belongs to national day. It is the biggest regular celebration in Herad. But the village association also puts on a summer village party. It is a lively one, Sverre laughs.

Nina and her family have no regrets about the choice they made when they embraced village life. She thinks other newcomers also gain new perspectives on everyday life.

– The most surprising thing about moving here? Perhaps how much you start to notice when nature is so close – when the meadow blooms, the migratory birds arrive, the fjord lies still or the weather turns. It simply becomes a natural part of everyday life, and something I really appreciate, she concludes.