On the last Friday of September, we drove to Fjørtofta, an island off Ålesund. On the ferry, we rock a little. A storm is announced in the evening. The waves pitch from left to right the ferry that brings us to the port of Fjørtoft, our place of residence for the next few days. Wind and rain will sweep the island of Fjørtofta until the next morning, as a major event looms: the sanking of "wild sheep" on the island of Uksnøya, a few kilometers away.
Photo. Uksnøya island
Uksnøya covers ten hectares and although for a long time it was home to fisher-farmers families who raised and farmed on the island, today only sheep occupy it full time. Daniel raises 110 Villsau (literally "wild sheep") ewes on the island with his parents Kjartan and Jane, his brother Terje Andre and his sister Åshild. He was ten years old when his father brought the first sheep to the island. It was the start of a great adventure, driven by one ambition: to control the vegetation of the island and recreate a hospitable land for the wild geese, which had taken up residence on Fjørtofta for lack of available resources on the abandoned islands. In winter, winds, rain, and then snow flows through Uksnøya. In spring, the snow melts and gives way to heathlands and grass, which cover the peaty soil of the island. Winds and tides allow quantities of seaweeds to run aground on the coast, sometimes propelled several tens of meters into the land. Sheep valorize all of Usnøya’s available resources, including seaweeds that they sort with their horns. Yes, it is ! A sea sheep, then ?
Photo. Seaweed washed up on the island, after Friday's storm
It is certain that we do not have to do with just any sheep. The Villsau is one of the oldest breeds in Northern Europe (the ancestor of our Ouessant sheep!). It is a very small, robust sheep, adapted to the biotope and climate of the coasts of northern Norway. Beyond his small size, the male can be recognized by his large horns rolled up on either side of his head. The horns are made up of rings, spaced apart in summer and tightened in winter, which allow you to visually know the age of the animal (much like the rings of trees). The breed has a wide range of colors, which says a lot about the genetic variety in the population: a diversity that is the identity of Villsau and that breeders want to maintain. Daniel sees diversity as a goal in itself, both for the herd and for the vegetation of the island: “Diversity contributes to resistance. Sheep have the choice among the many plant resources of the island and adapt their diet to the climate, or to their condition. In winter, when the island is covered with snow, the sheep will feed almost exclusively on seaweeds. The diversity of plant resources on the island also allows the animals to heal themselves, so there is no need to intervene.". Hey, we've already heard that somewhere! (read our article from Croatia "No goats, no glory")
Photos from left to right. 1. Daniel and a Villsau sheep from the flock. 2. and 3. Ewes and their lambs. 4. Rams on pasture.
Four rams are included in the island's sheep population in November, some of which wear full finery to make the beautiful ewes fall in love: two very wide horns and a long-haired fleece that falls on the chest. They will contribute to the birth of the lambs in the spring, before returning to the green pastures of Fjørtofta again. The ewes give birth to one or two lambs, so that after lambings the number of sheep on the island drops from 110 to 260! Ewes and lambs will live in complete autonomy away from all human activity, like Robinsons, until the fall. Humans only interfere in the life of the sheep population on two occasions: in the summer and in the fall. At the summer sanking, the animals are brought together to count, identify and weigh the lambs. On this occasion, we deworm if necessary and we remove the wool of the ewes and lambs, if it has not fallen by itself: because in Villsau sheep, the wool falls naturally in the summer. At the fall sanking, the flock is brought together again, to sort the ewes and lambs. The ewes are counted and weighed before leaving for a new year on the island. The lambs are about to leave Uksnøya. The opportunity for them to discover the boat cruise ... And we were there for this event !
Daniel and his family have been monitoring the weather for many days. The window for action is short, because at this time of year there are more windy and stormy days than sunny days. You have to choose the right time to cross the 5 km of seawater by boat. So it's decided, Sunday the weather promises to be good. About 30 people rallying family and friends answered the call. All will leave the continent for the island for this extraordinary gathering.
On Saturday, equipment and facilities are prepared for collecting, sorting and moving the sheep. On Uksnøya, a corridor is created to guide the sheep to the park. Large fishing nets are stretched over wooden poles to create ephemeral barriers. In Fjørtofta, the boats are being prepared. In particular, the one who will lead the lambs from one island to another. An artisanal rope, fitted with rings, is stretched on either side of the zodiac. This is where each of the lambs will be tied up, one by one, to secure their crossing. With a smile, Daniel admits that a second boat "just in case" has been prepared for the lambs: “It's better to have too much than not enough. Tomorrow is an important day and the weather does not allow us to make mistakes. We prefer to take the time to do things right rather than go fast and risk missing the operation.". For our part, this day is also the opportunity to discover our mission for the next day. Equipped with the map of the island, Daniel describes the strategy to gather all the sheep, without risking forgetting any. Several groups will march from different ends of the island to the sheepfold, to push the herd to the park. So we'll be on the team that will come up from the far end of the island!
Photos from left to right. 1. Installation of nets and weighing station for sheep gathering. 2. Preparation of the boat for the transport of the lambs. 3. Rope which will be used to tie the lambs during the crossing.
After a good night's rest, the long-awaited Sunday has arrived. As expected, the storm gave way to sun, blue sky and a smooth sea. The perfect weather for sanking. We leave early on the boat that takes us to the end of the island, before the sea rises and divides Uksnøya into small islands separated by a few inlets. Before starting the operation, Daniel equips himself with a walkie-talkie to follow the progress of each of the teams in real time ... and the sheep! It was in absolute calm and under the sun that we crossed the island, sometimes with our feet in the heather, sometimes with our feet in the water, in search of wild sheep. At the end of the course, we find the other teams. The mission is intensifying. The sheep are at the entrance to the fold, but the plan does not go quite as planned. The herd escapes through a rift in the human barrier and reaches the beach. Under Daniel's wise orders, new lines were reestablished to bring the sheep up to the corridor that leads them to the sheepfold. New movement of the herd. The lines hold. The woolly colony rushes down the hall. The barrier is closed. Mission accomplished !
The relieved teams divide up the new tasks for sorting and transporting the lambs. A single line of sheep kept on a leash is built upstream of the weighing station. Everyone waits more or less patiently for their turn. Sheep and lambs separated, the last will embark for Fjørtofta. The most delicate mission, where each lamb will have to find its place on board, without going overboard! Once on Fjørtofta, the lambs will spend two weeks in the green grass before they leave for the slaughterhouse.
Photos from left to right. 1. Lambs in single file awaiting weighing. 2. Belinda and Jane record the weights of the lambs. 3. Discussion around lambs and selection of future reproducers. 4 and 5. Transport of lambs to the boat. 6 and 7. Departure for Fjørtofta
Daniel and his family sell the meat of their lambs themselves. While the size and conformation of the small Villsau sheep is well adapted to the island of Usnøya, it is not suitable for the classification of carcasses by slaughterhouses, which take into account muscle development and fat content. The morphology of Villsau is far from that of lambs from meat breeds such as Norsk Kvit Sau, which we told you about previously! Among the characteristics of its meat, Villsau is distinguished by a significant storage of fat, which deteriorates the classification of carcasses in slaughterhouses. The marketing of meat therefore naturally developed outside the distribution channel and found its customers among local connoisseurs. The skins of Villsau sheep are also tanned and sold locally. Given the diversity of color in Villsau, each skin is unique! Daniel, his brother and his sister do not make a living from herding activity in Uksnøya (in Norway, you do not live by the profession of shepherd). For them, raising their small wild sheep is a hobby, which they maintain alongside their work on the mainland. Daniel's parents live in Fjørtofta. They watch over the herd all year round: if the winter is harsh and the resources available on the island run out, the sheep are given some hay in the sheepfold. In summer, the farm turns into a family vacation home. This organization is possible thanks to the low maintenance required by the herd, able to live all year round on the island without human help.
The sanking ends. Daniel's grandmother, Turid, was in charge of cooking on this gathering day. In the oldest house on the island (built around 1530), a table is set with everything you need to stock up on energy throughout the day: coffee, bread, butter, cheese, cold meats… Turid made sure that "the French eat well". We must tell that Norwegians eat all the time ! Through the window, you can see the freshly sorted ewes.
Once the lambs are out of the flock and transported to the island, the door is opened to the ewes. Everyone is ready to take pictures from all angles. Some members even climbed over the roof to watch the action ! When the door opens, the ewes gallop towards the exit in a festival of leaps, each higher than the next ! It was worth it to get the camera out. Just the once won’t hurt, the day ends with a good meal that we enjoy in the sun. The opportunity to talk with each other.
This weekend, we lived in total immersion in this island gathering. Between the setting up, the realization and the after, the sanking of the sheep on the island is like a real family event, like a wedding, or a baptism. In any case, that's how we have perceived, with a few differences : the guests do not come in costume or dress, but in warm and practical clothing ! For the rest, conviviality was the order of the day and nostalgia won us over at the end of the weekend. We were completely integrated into Daniel's family and felt 100% Norwegian for a few days, although we mostly spoke English. We didn't leave empty-handed, as we took sheep meat, crab caught on Monday morning with Kjartan and Daniel and a beautiful Villsau tanned hide : all generously offered by Daniel and his family !
To them: we will never forget you !
Norwegian moment
- Fisher-farmers
Traditionally, the families who lived on the islands off the west coast of Norway had a dual activity: fishing and farming. The man spent long months off the north coast to fish, while the woman raised animals and made butter and cheese. The man was coming back to mow the hay in the spring. At this point, he regained the privacy of his family and his home. It was an opportunity to beget a new generation (we'll skip the details) before setting out again ! The dual activity of fishing and farming continues, although now most of the families have moved to the mainland or to the islands connected to it by maritime traffic, such as Fjørtofta. This dual activity is here the assurance of never running out of food : when fishing brings little, the products of the land take over, and vice versa. In Daniel's family, Kjartan, his father, is the first generation for which the man does not go fishing for months. Now retired, his activity was concentrated around Fjørtofta, where he collected algae at sea with a dedicated boat.
- Tame the lambs
After the sanking, a dozen female lambs remained at the sheepfold to renew the herd. They will join the flock of ewes on Monday but before regaining their freedom, we tame them ! A few hours are dedicated to cuddling the ewe lambs and learning about solid food. Although the sheep do not actually receive any feed on the island, knowledge of the taste of the pellets and the sound of the bucket will serve to maintain contact with the herd for monitoring, weighing and sorting. The ewe lambs will join the flock after they have all consumed some food. Historically, the herd was wild, which made handling extremely difficult. For several years, Daniel and his family have been trying to tame the new generations of sheep in order to make the work easier in the future. A method that is bearing fruit, since each year the herd becomes more tame.
- Predation and dispersal
On the island, no wolf, no bear, no glutton ... But only one predator for the lambs: the raven. The lambing period takes place around April, a period that is not chosen at random: this is the best time to limit predation on lambs. In fact, lambings take place at the same time as laying in greylag geese, which establish their nests on the island and which fear the same predator. While the crow feeds on the eggs of the geese, it leaves the newborn lambs in peace.
- Burn the heather
On the island of Uksnøya, fires are regularly lit to burn off the ancient heather. A historical practice, which allows the renewal of the heather and the development of softer shoots to feed the sheep. The heather has adapted to this practice, so the smoke stimulates the ripening of the seeds.
- Norwegian meals
In Norway, we eat four meals a day! Breakfast, called Frokost, consists of sweet and salty food. Matpakke, which is like a French lunch, is served around 11 a.m.! You can eat sandwiches of all kinds, accompanied by cheese or cold meats. From 4 p.m., it's Middag time, the hot meal of the day consisting of meat and often potatoes ! The day ends with a snack around 10 p.m., the Kveldsmat.
- Old waves
Between a storm and a sunny day, the waves do not calm down instantly. Following the storm, even though the wind has cleared, large waves still crash into the rocks offshore. These lingering waves after storms, the Norwegians here call them "old waves".
