This is the website of Ås’ own Community Supported Agriculture farm (andelslandbruk or andelsgård in Norwegian).
Being a member has been a great experience and enhanced my overall stay here, I’m so glad Nat came to show us the farm during the first week of our first semester and I hope Nat can do it again this year to get new NMBU students! – Ámelie, medlem i 2019 og 2020.
Dysterjordet CSA Farm can be found right in the centre of Ås, just a few minutes walk from the train station. We’ve been operating since 2015 and our field is on organically certified, rented land from Dystergård (Dyster Farm). 2022 will be our 8th growing season. We are now open for brand new members to join (and those coming back to the farm too!). To join – here is the form with all the info you need. Note that if you think you need to divide up your payments over 4 months due to financial difficulty, just email Victoria, our manager, on andelslandbruk@dysterjordet.no .
We produce a diversity of vegetables both on the open field and in our large poly-tunnel (green house). There are a number of other areas on the field that we share; a kids’ patch, the herb spiral, and a picnic area where we cook and warm ourselves near a fire, including in our new pizza oven! Those with a vegetable-share (share holders) harvest their own vegetables whenever they like and just follow the instructions given on a Harvest Message email sent out by the manager each week. Our field is certified for organic production from Norway’s certification body, Debio.
Our andelslandbruk/CSA farm is based on these three important concepts:
- Shared harvest, shared risk
- Dialogue between the farmer and the consumers/users
- Open and transparent economy (Find our 2022 budget and 2021 accounting documents here in our årsberetning 2021)
Over the years we have had between 130 and 200 members each year; in 2022 we will have place for 135 full members. We will close membership sometime in late april, or when we’re full.
I loved my CSA experience here… a lot! and have immortalized it in a Thesis.
So great work! thanks for facilitating 2 years of fresh veggies 🙂 – Sydney, member in 2019 & 2020.
To outline our prices, for those that buy a vegetable-share (become an ‘andelshaver’) there is a one time sign-up fee of 150-300kr (innmeldingsavgift), plus a cost for the vegetable share itself 700-2950kr (kids to adults) and 6 hours volunteering for those 18yrs and over. Each share is personal, meaning you can only harvest enough for one person. The amounts to harvest are outlines in our weekly harvest message, which you will receive via email. All people who will be eating veggies from our field must have paid for a vegetable share. We also have a special membership for anyone else in the household (family or even a kollektiv/flatmates) who will not take/eat any vegetables but who just want to join in our social activities and courses. This is called a Household member and they pay 150-300kr each year. Little kids are completely free but must be registered.
- Adults (including students): vegetable-share 2950kr + sign-up fee 300kr (sign-up fee is one time only) + 6 hours at a working-bee (volunteer working event called a ‘dugnad’ in Norwegian)
- Elderly (over 75yrs): 1500kr plus some dugnadstimer
- Teens (13-17years) vegetable-share 1400kr + sign-up fee 150kr (sign-up fee is one time only)
- Kids (5-12 years) vegetable-share 700kr + no sign-up fee
- Household members: no vegetables/potatoes/herbs, just access to our social events and courses, plus the right to vote at general meetings: 150kr for students and teens, 300kr for adults, all kids 12 and under are free.
- A work share: 26 working-bee hours + 1500kr. You must send in an application for this type of share. We only have place for 10 work shares.
- *We do consider people’s needs and economic situations, please email Victoria (andelslandbruk@dysterjordet.no) to discuss if you have issues affording our prices.
We have calculated the cost of veggies per week based on our previous seasons having been 20 weeks long. Each vegetable-share (or andel in Norwegian) was worth 148kr per week; which is a great price for a lot of organic vegetables!
We offer also some very nice inclusive offers:
- Harvest Help, run by the Good Friend System: People with disabilities or physical issues that stop or hinder them from harvesting may apply to get a ‘Good Friend’ from within our membership to assist them to harvest each week.
- Buddy system: for any new members, or returning if needed, we offer you a Buddy for the season, one of our more experienced members to help you understand the field and harvesting.
Take a look around this website, and use google translate when you need to, or just email Victoria for any specific questions, andelslandbruk@dysterjordet.no.
PS: Some other important documents you might like to sit down and go through are to be found here. Yes, our official documents are in Norwegian, but use google translate, and in the meantime, we are working to get our documents available in English. We hope all this helps you to consider being a member.
On the sign up form read about the membership details in English, then click on ‘Påmeld’ (a green bottom) over on the right, then you will have to scroll down to register yourself with the online platform we use (rubic.no). Once you have put in your details you will be asked to fill out a form to join for 2022 declaring which membership you would like. Once that has been completed Victoria, our manager, will soon email an invoice to you (usually within 5 working days).