KASTANIEGÅRDEN, DENMARK Frank Erichsen waiting with a small old pickup truck at the local train station.
The road to the farm is bumpy in places, you can see flat fields and farmhouses here and there. Welcome to Kastaniegården, a farm familiar to many television viewers.
Erichsen, known as a Danish country man, and his family strive for a sustainable and self-sufficient life. The household includes a wife, daughter and son, and two Labrador retrievers.
Maajussilta seems to be able to handle farming, construction, animal care and preserving fruit.
The yard’s newest small machines are an apple juicer that looks like a wooden well and a metal juicer barrel that resembles a water tap. The juice starts to ferment in the barrel, but the juice comes out of the tap with little pressure, so it doesn’t start turning into alcohol. There are also enough apples for drying and baking.
On the other side of the yard, a windmill is being prepared, which will produce small energy in the future. In the yard area, you can also see a few small greenhouses, pumpkins left over from Halloween parties and, of course, firewood. The laundry dries in the yard in the Danish wind, as long as it doesn’t start raining again.
What would Erichsen like to say to those city dwellers who miss nature in their everyday life?
– If you want to live close to nature and not in a concrete jungle, you should move to the country, the land rabbit says and grins.
We agree that there are other options. So what can those who live in cities learn from an example of a sustainable lifestyle?
Fresh natural foods
According to the Danish land juss, the biodiversity crisis is above all about the fact that there is no more space for nature – people have taken it for other uses.
Erichsen’s fields grow, among other things, vegetables, berries, fruit trees, grain, corn, flax and wildflowers. The farm also has cows, horses, sheep and chickens. Although a city dweller cannot and does not have to strive for the same, he can bring nature closer to him.
– Leaving natural soil in the yard instead of putting stones or gravel on it, Erichsen gives an example.
Or just buy food produced nearby and just as much as you need to eat. Or why not try growing your own seed plants?
Economical use of water
Erichsen points to the meadow where the cows get hay for the winter. A small river meanders through the meadow, which flows into the roaring sea five kilometers away. Thanks to the winding path, the water stays in place, so nutrients cannot escape to the sea.
– This is a way of managing a farm that takes care of the characteristics of nature and at the same time takes the best possible advantage of the farm.
Maybe even a city dweller can think about how to use water wisely. For example, during a dry summer, it can be a good idea to put a water dish in the yard or on the balcony so that the birds can moisten their mouths. Not to mention your own frugal use of water in the kitchen and bathroom.
A calmer rhythm of life
When there are no metro or bus lines nearby that run every five minutes, you have to stop and wait. Of course, country life doesn’t mean being idle – the Danish country man himself had to find a few hours in his calendar for an interview with .
Erichsen also knows that there is no need to start talking to Finns about long distances, a calmer everyday life and the silence of nature. Erichsen, who has visited Finland, estimates that in the land of thousands of forests and lakes, Finns seem to have a closer relationship with nature than Danes.
– But the challenges related to nature and the image of nature, in my opinion, apply equally to all Nordic countries.
According to him, the Nordic countries can therefore learn from each other when looking for solutions to these challenges.
Hospitality and influence on the surrounding environment
The Erichsen family has invited the television crew to their home for about 15 years. The series, shown in Denmark under the name Frank & Kastaniegarden (formerly Bonderøven), has become extremely popular in the Nordic countries, and the television format has gained recognition in other parts of the world.
Without turning your home into a reality TV studio, you can bring a good mood, for example, by inviting your neighbor over – or at least saying hello to him. Hospitality and community spirit do not necessarily reduce the loss of nature, but perhaps the choices of those around you can be influenced in some way.
– 200 years ago, people showed others their wealth by building large gardens, where everything was planned down to the last centimeter. Now we are in a completely different situation, where we can show our well-being by keeping the environment as it is, and not modifying it in an unnatural way.
With small actions towards change
In the newer series, We want nature back, Erichsen collaborates with the Danish community in order to get more nature there. There are decision-makers, biologists, citizens and companies involved.
Residents are encouraged to change their attitude and to let the flowers and grass in the yard grow freely. Farmers are advised how to create space for both farming and wild nature. Housing associations and other companies are encouraged to design their outdoor spaces more naturally. According to Erichsen, the program has inspired other municipalities as well.
He states that a single person cannot solve the biodiversity crisis, but the actions of citizens can gradually influence decision-making as well.
– Politicians see that people want to give nature more space and start making big decisions that can really show a new way for the future.
Finally, a silly question from a city dweller: Does the Erichsen family need to go to the store often, and what does it buy there? According to Erichsen, is not the first to ask this question.
– It says that the questioner doesn’t know how difficult it is to live self-sufficiently. Simple: If we can’t get milk from cows, we buy milk. If we have eaten the vegetables we grew, we buy vegetables, Erichsenin says and invites inside.
There is coffee bought in the store and a pie made from apples from our own yard.
Do you believe that a city dweller can influence the urban environment with his actions? How can you give nature more space in your surroundings?
Watch the programs related to the Danish groundhog on Areena: