Den Brune Bie

The Nordic black bee is considered to be an ecotype or subspecies of the old European bee. The Nordic black bee is the only original bee race in Northern Europe, and is nowadays listed as endangered. In the pure breeding areas in Flekkefjord, Lund, Sokndal and Sirdal, it is forbidden to keep other bees than the black bee. Here are the the natural borders such as mountains and seas that isolate the stock and prevent mating from other bee breeds.

Thanks to the few beekeepers who choose to participate in the breeding work for the black bee, Norway has today the largest remaining stock of the black bee. The work done for this bee rase is essential for the breed to still have a future in the beekeeping.

Sverre Sirevåg was born in 1927. He began to raise bees at the age of 14. By that time he had two beehives of his own and he also raised bees for others. By 2010, his daughter Gretha took over the business with her husband Geir-Arne and with the help from their mentor Sverre.

The beehives are located in different places around Sokndal municipality. The main farm is at Bjørkhaug approx. 50 meters from their house. What’s special here is the bloom in springtime that starts early and that there is a generous access to apple, raspberry, morell, plum, blackberry, clover and dandelion blooms. The other beehives are located in areas where there are plenty of wildflowers, such as bell heather.

Fossmoen Frukt & Cider

The climate in Dalane is well suited for growing fruit. Our idyllic orchard is faced southwest, which gives the fruit an abundance of sun and light. The garden is protected by mountains in the north-east and thus sheltered from cold winds that can be harmful to trees and fruit.

Favourable climate gives the trees good growing conditions to bear fine fruit. Fruit is the main ingredient in the production of Cider, and high-quality fruit is crucial for high-quality cider. Our fruit production is done almost organically, with an emphasis on the use of organic fertilizers and as little pesticides as possible to protect nature and insect flora.

Haugland Gård & Hage

Haugland Gård & Hage is located close to the protected coastal heath called “Sletthei”, in Lund municipality in the far south of Rogaland. The farm is nicely located with cultivated land close to the farm buildings. The coastal heath “Sletthei” is close and accessible to the animals. The farm hosts the protected cattle breed “Vestlandsk Raudkolle”, or “Lyngdalskua”, as the locals call it. The farm has access to approx. 3000Da grazing, and of these, about 2800Da is idyllic coastal heath, where the animals can frolic in historical nature and safe surroundings.

Haugland Gård & Hage puts animal welfare as priority no. 1, and the production is grass-based with a long grazing season. The animals on the farm have access to the outside all year round, which we think they value highly. During the summer, the farm is open for visitors who are curious about the very critically endangered Lyngdalskua, often in connection with visits to the idyllic visitor garden, which is also run here. The garden is in Cottage style and consists of several rooms with a variety of roses, perennials, portals, seating areas – and with a vegetable garden with a large selection of vegetables. Here there is room for people, animals and the buzzing friends .. Welcome!

Hetlandstunet Gard

Ramona is the 4th generation running the farm at Hetlandstunet Gard. Kai and Ramona took over the farm in January 2018. At that time, the focus was only on sheep on the farm. Now you can experience so-called “hobby birds”, such as cemani, bronze turkeys, quail and blue peacocks on the farm, in addition to an ever-increasing herd of sheep; today it is approx. 100 winter kept sheep at Hetlandstunet Gard.

In 2020, the farm started with free-range pigs. The meat is very good, and customers have already ordered meat for 2021, so the farm is investing further in this. Kai and Ramona are in the initial phase of honey production, and Kai is in the process of learning the art of queen breeding. In the area where the pigs went last year, bee-friendly flowers will now be sown.

Hetlandstunet Gard is located in a scenic and fertile landscape characterized by 1.5 million year old gneiss, and the moraines (gravel, sand and stone) left behind by the ice over 10,000 years ago.

Livet på Fidsel/Life at Fidsel

The farm has been owned and run by the same family for 400 years. A small farm in the coastal landscape between Flekkefjord and Åna-Sira. Today the farm is run by Hege and Øyvind Andersen. They keep bees, sheep and farm vegetables.

The bees are of the species Apis Mellifera mellifera, the Nordic brown bee. The original European honey bee, which turns out to be both frugal and hardy. It is needed here in our humid coastal climate. The main feature of our bees is the nectar from the coastal heath on Hidrahei, which is part of the Flekkefjord Landscape Conservation Area. This results in a tasty and beautiful honey.

The vegetables are grown without pesticides and fertilizers. We want to focus on good soil health, for example by using fertilizer from our own sheep. Sheep manure and hay turns into compost and nutrients for the vegetables. We like diversity, so about 30 different varieties are grown on our farm. Potatoes, beets, beans, squash, cabbage, carrots and spring onions, to name a few.

With us, it is the sheep breed Fuglestadbrogete that applies. These came to Norway from Leeds in 1909. It was our neighbor at Fidsel, Hans Hansen, who at the time picked up 2 pregnant sheep and a ram. Today it is one of Norway’s breeds worthy of protection, and we want to be part of this job. The sheep are known to be good at taking care of their lambs, and provide good milk. Their wool is white and variegated (black spotted) in the face and on the legs.

Through the yard, the tourist trail goes out to Gården Li. A trip that is used all year round and goes in a varied terrain. With us you get honey, guided tours to the bees, many different vegetables and in time we will produce mutton.

Løyning Gård 10/3 Sæstad

On the idyllic island Eigerøy, outside Egersund, Tone and Magne Sæstad have wild sheep and traditional Norwegian cattle spread over 6000 acres of coastal heathland. They focus on breeds that can handle and utilize this unique and protected landscape. Their goal is to produce high-quality meat products based on old and endangered breeds.

Vestlands Raudkolle originates from South-West Norway and can handle this landscape well. In addition, Tone and Magne have bought some cattle from the breed Sidet Trønderfe. These old Norwegian breeds can live outside from the beginning of May to mid-October in this coastal climate, much like the wild sheep. At Eigerøy old Norwegian cattle is grazing alongside the original wild sheep along this unique coastline.

The coastal heathlands at Eigerøy are located in the sparse anorthosite landscape that was formed far below the earth’s surface 930 million years ago. The animals that graze south of Løyning make use of the heather, juniper and gras that clings to the so-called Håland anorthosite. It was formed 1 billion years ago and is the oldest anorthosite in Magma UNESCO Global Geopark.

For a taste of the unique high-quality traditional Norwegian meat, please contact Tone and Magne directly at Løyning Gård.

Ollestad Kjøtt

Ollestad Kjøtt is a newly established local company located at Ollestad at Ualand in Lund municipality. The company consists of the brothers Brynjar and Kristian Ollestad, who, in addition to Ollestad Kjøtt, each run their own farm.

Ollestad Kjøtt has a genuine interest in local food and local food traditions. They offer good quality meat and facilitate the customer to be able to trace the meat back to both the farmer and the pasture. In addition, the main goal of the brothers is to safeguard the craft that the “village butcher” once could offer. Both through their own processing of meat, but also in the form of the products they produce. They are using “Grandma’s cookbook” and want to keep in the claimed food traditions that are about to disappear.

In addition to the production of meat products, Ollestad Kjøtt offers cutting, splitting and processing of meat. Their products are produced sustainably and with a strong focus on animal welfare. They deliver products with the guarantee of traceability, high quality with the least possible use of additives and all products are produced in as environmentally friendly and safe manner as possible.

Svanes Bigård

Svanes Bigård is a family and hobby project run by Anne-Lise and Tore Svanes together with son Sondre Svanes. We produce honey from the Nordic Black Bee, which is a bee breed worthy of preservation. A tough bee that is not afraid of a rain shower or a few cool days. They fit perfectly well in our area when you can experience 4 seasons in one day.

Beekeeping is an excellent recreation activity, and you will never stop learning. Even if the bees are considered domestic animals, they cannot be tamed, but with the right care and respect we get calm bees.

The beehives are located on Øygrei and Nodland. In the summer, we have two of them in the garden at Lygre marina, much to the delight of garden owners with fruit trees and berry bushes.

We harvest the honey in two stages to be able to offer liquid summer honey in late summer and a firmer honey with a strong heather character in the autumn.

The honey can be bought at Sunkost Egersund or by direct contact on tel. 99108064.

Søya Gård

You can find Søya Gård just a cross the municipal boundary from Bjerkreim municipality, in Gjesdal municipality. In the border zone of Magma Geopark we find much of the same nature and geology as in the northern parts of Bjerkreim; 1.5 billion year old gneiss dominates this landscape and makes it fertile and well suited for the old Norse Iron Age sheep.

The meat of the Iron Age sheep is juicy and good, and has a distinct taste of the high mountains at Søyland. These sheep is making good use of wild grass and herbs. The sheep have the best living conditions from birth to adult sheep; It moves freely in open and clean nature, gets regular supervision and attention from the owner and has a social life with the rest of the flock. This ancient Norwegian breed is a skilled landscaper and is therefore very useful for maintaining an open cultural landscape.

At Søya Gårdsutsalg you will find a variety of traditional and tasty products produced from the Iron Age sheep; lightly salted lamb legs, ribs, dried and saltet meat and mutton sausage. Søya also offers homemade honey, as well as traditional art and light meals.

Tre Tyttebær

Tre Tyttebær make products with soul and flavor from a mythical landscape, in the heart of the Anorthosite landscape, which makes up Magma Geopark. The main character in the story is the fierce Viking Orvar Odd, and Oddsfjellet, which became his last resting place.

So what does Tre Tyttebær mean? Orvar Odd had three wishes on the death bed. He had to be buried somewhere he could hear the sea, the church bells from Haua and the rooster at Berglyd. He can do that from Oddsfjellet, so the “three cranberries” are a reference to Orvar’s last wish.

In their product range are; seaweed salt, chili salt, cranberry salt, pickled seaweed, dandelion marmalade and spruce shoots jelly.

The products can be purchased at Magma’s office, and by direct email to the producer, Sidsel Margrethe Salvesen.

Veen Gard

Veen Gard is idyllically located between water and mountains in Øvrabygda in Bjerkreim municipality. Vinjakula (907 masl) belongs to the farm and Gloppedalsura is close by.In 1948 the farm was divided between 2 brothers. Harald Veen’s part consisted only of outfield. A large cage project started. Without electricity and with the river as a washing machine, land was cultivated and barns and homes were built. Baseli, Dagros and Sangros was the name of the first 3 cows which together with 20 goats and 20 sheep was Veen Gård’s first.Today they run goat and sheep farms. 80 goats and 25 sheep graze in the open and help to nurture the landscape that would otherwise grow. Veen Gård mainly processes goat products: they  utilize both milk and meat. From goat’s milk, cheeses and ice cream are made. They also offer a large selection of pure meat products such as ribs and thighs from goat.The campsite at Veen Gard offers cabin rentals and is an excellent base for fishing and walking. Today, Harald’s granddaughter – Janne Marie and her husband Gjermund – runs the farm. Her father – Hallvard Veen – is still an active contributor and passionate.

Gjedrem Gård

Gunnar Gjedrem started with bees and become a beekeeper in 1971. Gunnar ran the bee-farm until 2001 when the son took over. Today, the whole family, the children Gustine and Alexander, and the mother Alexandra work together with the father Rune with the bees.

Bjerkreim is a great place to do beekeeping and the beehives are located in different places a few kilometres from the centre of Bjerkreim. If there are good conditions in the spring and in the early summer, you can harvest summer honey, but it is the heather in July-August that can give the largest production. It all depends on the weather and there is great annual variation. The big differences makes beekeeping so exciting and one is never fully taught.

Gjedrem farm also have a collaboration with Bjerkreim school on a teaching program for 3rd grade where students can join the bee keeper for a day. It is inspiring to see how committed the students become when they look in the beehives. Finding the marked queen is extra cool!

From the very beginning in 1971, great emphasis has been placed on good welfare and high quality honey. Like most people in Dalane, they have the Nordic brown bee, it is hardy and is the bee breed that copes best withstands the variations in the climate.

Veshovda Ysteri

We are located in Veshovda. There the farm is breastfeeding cow, milking cow and sheep.
We have built a dairy on the farm. Here we process all of the milk that is produced. Our milk herd consists of the old Norwegian cure Telemarksfe. The milk from Telemarksfe has stomach good qualities that are suitable for further processing.
We make different products from milk, where one of our main products is butter. This is an old family tradition that we want to preserve for the future. Eventually we will produce more types of fresh cheeses.

Grand Hotel Egersund

Grand Hotel Egersund is centrally located in the heart of Egersund. The hotel has a quiet atmosphere and a service-minded staff. It is situated close to the harbor, shopping and sights.

Grand Hotel Egersund consists of a beautiful, bright and open reception area, 101 pleasant rooms with a total of 150 beds. At the hotel you will find the Grand café, a restaurant with a first class kitchen, wine cellar, cabaret stage, lounge bar, beautiful banqueting rooms and modern conference facilities with a total capacity of 160 people.

On the menus in the restaurant you will find meals with the label GEOfood. These meals consists of a large quantity of locally produced ingredients from Magma Geopark. Grand Hotel Egersund aims to be a driver in local development and to enhance local produce, and is also a partner in Historic Hotels & Restaurants.

In March 2019 a new restaurant opened at the hotel. EIGRA kjøkken & bar (kitchen & bar) bringing the concept fun dining, sharing-style to Egersund.

Grand Hotell Flekkefjord

Flekkefjord’s oldest hotel is located right in the city center, with a short distance to most of the city’s rich offerings. Our accommodations are just as suitable for business as for leisure travelers. The hotel was built in 1897 in classic Swiss style. With its well-known octagonal towers, the hotel is one of the most photographed motifs in Flekkefjord. We can offer 29 rooms that are all different in their own way, great restaurant with good food, bar, football pub and disco.

Our food philosophy is simple, food should be good, honest and simple made from scratch and local ingrediets with lots of care. At our restaurant, Grand Gastro, we use the best local and Norwegian ingredients, based on seasons and availability. We change menus according to the seasons. We do this to give you as our guest the best experience regardless of the season. Welcome!

Kaffidyret AS

We are a small coffee bar centrally located in the centre of Sokndal, which opened on 1 July 2020. We want to be a meeting place for local and visiting guests.

One of our walls is decorated with pictures from hiking destinations around our village. In time, we want to expand this exhibition with photos from the entire Magma Geopark area. We brew our coffee with beans from Austrått Kaffebrenneri. If the customer wants to buy coffee beans to take home, we can grind it while they wait. Our menu consists of simple dishes and cookies and we use local ingredients as much as possible.

At Kaffidyret you can buy honey from Den Brune Bie. In addition, we have locally produced bath salts and goats’ milk soaps from Brambo Organics.

Feel free to follow us on Instagram and Facebook or www.kaffidyret.no

EIGRA Street

Egersund’s street food restaurant serving traditional Norwegian food flavoured by other traditions and cultures, the raw material is locally sourced for at least 50% of the seasonal menu which includes: blue shells, beaf, chicken, salad, broccoli, salmon and shrimps. You can eat indoor or take away, the restaurant adopted compostable packaging.

Here, you will also find the GEOfood outlet from Magma UNESCO Global Geopark with food specialties for sale,  from 10 certified producers.

Feel free to follow us on Instagram and Facebook or https://www.eigrastreet.no/en/