#solheimar

Bye, Sólheimar. It’s been… lovely. 

It’s probably because of the midnight sun paranoia. Definitely.

On second thought though… we never experienced any paranoia in Reykjavik… it must have been the isolation then. Definitely. 

A day at the greenhouse in Sólheimar

Sólheimar is the birthplace of organic farming in Iceland and Scandinavia as its founder, Sesselja Hreindís Sigmundsdóttir, is considered the pioneer in the field for the region.  Sesselja had great empathy for nature and she was one of Iceland’s first environmentalists.  Environmental awareness, therefore, has a long, deep-rooted tradition in Solheimar and it has always been a priority to produce foods from organic farming practices. 

Organic production is based on the natural fertility of the earth, so no chemicals are used to enhance the growth of the vegetables. Biological controlling measures are used to deal with difficulties that arise. Crop rotation is practiced to maintain soil nutrients and reduce the risk of diseases. Fish meal and algae meal are used as mulch.

The main products of Sunna are:

Tomatoes

Seedless Cherry Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Peppers

Lettuce

Grape Tomatoes

Mini Cucumbers

Herbs in Trays

Mixed Lettuce in Trays

Products are sold to the Solheimar kitchen, Vala Market and also in Hagkaups and Nettó stores.  Unattractive vegetables are used for canning in Naerandi and can thus be used in food production still.

Sunna is certified organic by the Tún Certification Office. Sunna Greenhouse is one of the largest greenhouse vegetable producers in Iceland.

source: http://www.solheimar.is/en/solheimar/independent-companies/sunna-greenhouse/

Sólheimar | WORKSHOPS

Today, Sólheimar is no longer a children’s home but a community where the goal is to give every individual an opportunity to live in a sustainable society. In total, more than 100 people reside in Sólheimar while the village provides home and work to 43 individuals with special needs. The aim of Sólheimar is to maximize the potential of each individual. This community is internationally renowned for its artistic and ecological atmosphere and prides itself on its varied cultural, social, and sporting activities. Short and long-term volunteers mostly from EVS have worked in Sólheimar for much of its history. Study-abroad programs organized by Center for Ecological Living and Learning and other internship vacancies also draw people to Sólheimar every year. Their input into the community continues to promote sustainability and welfare. There are approximately 30,000-35,000 guests visit Sólheimar all year-round because it has become a popular tourist destination to learn about sustainability through community.

The activity in Sólheimar is versatile. In the village, there are a wide range of workshops and businesses that help to keep Sólheimar a sustainable village. This includes:

Sunna - one of the largest producers of organic vegetables in Iceland

Ölur - the only organic forest nursery in Iceland, established in 1991.

Sólheimar Guesthouse - There are two guesthouses in Sólheimar: Brekkukot and Veghús. With approximately 30,000 visitors each year, Sólheimar is able to welcome visitors to explore and appreciate the village.

Nærandi - food production in Sólheimar. Though it is relatively new, it provides a wide range of baked food to not only the village but also to stores in Reykjavik.

Vala and Græna Kannan - the local shop and cafe in Sólheimar

6 main workshops - candle-making, weaving, organic soap-making, art, ceramics and woodwork

It never got dark in Sólheimar. There were no sunsets, there were no sunrises. It was 4 p.m. all day, all night. And we definitely did experience hypomania or even paranoia at some point. 

Many find it difficult to sleep during the night when the sun is shining. In general, visitors and newcomers are most affected. Some natives are also affected but usually to a lesser degree. The midnight sun is said to cause hypomania, which is characterized by persistent and pervasive elevated or irritable mood.

Welcome to Sólheimar. No sun, but no moon either. 

Not much of green but a lot of red. This red thing is called ‘tuff”:

Tuff (from the Italian tufo) is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered tuffaceous.

Tuff can be classified as either sedimentary or igneous rocks. They are usually studied in the context of igneous petrology, although they are sometimes described using sedimentological terms.

Welcome to Sólheimar

Sólheimar (the “worlds of the sun”) was founded on July 5, 1930 by a pioneering woman: Sesselja Sigmundsdóttir (1902-1974). She was a pedagogical innovator who was specifically interested in caring people with mental challenges as well as organic horticulture. In 1930, when Sesselja moved to Iceland, she kept in contact with other pioneers in organic farming and anthroposophy around Europe as the preparation to create a physical space where childcare could be achieved in a self-sustained community in a land with streams, hot springs and other natural surroundings.

On March 31, 1930, The childcare Committee of the Church of Iceland, purchased the land known as Hverakot for isk 8,000. Sesselja leased the land and founded Sólheimar, that started out as a fosterhome on her 28th birthday, the 5th of July 1930 with the arrival of the first five foster children and at first they all lived in tents In the fall of 1931, five children with mental challenges arrived to Sólheimar, while the first building, Selhamar, was constructed specifically for the developmentally disabled children in 1932 and 1933 with the support of Parliament. After World War II, besides Sesselja's foster children and the summer children, nearly all the children in Sólheimar had disabilities.

Today all activities in Sólheimar are based on Sesselja's lifework and visions: what started out as an isolated and primitive settlement in 1930 with around ten small children has now become a modern, self-supporting eco-village with organic farming, thermal and solar energy and with a thriving cultural life. Inspired by the theories of Rudolf Steiner, Sesselja’s focus was the interaction between the individual and the environment. She was a passionate advocate for integrating children with and without disabilities, and it was here in Sólheimar where this vision was brought to life. She made a home for children in Sólheimar and focused her work on organic horticulture (the first in the nordic countries), healthy food and artistic expression. Many of these ideas sparked controversy with the authorities because at the time, it was perceived that “healthy” children should not play with those with special needs. It was also viewed that the high-vegetable diet promoted by Sesselja was, in fact, not healthy for the children. Although Sesselja's proactive ideas were hard to be accepted, such disagreements have faded into history and the Sólheimar community continues to support a healthy lifestyle for everyone in the village.