Date: Friday June 28th
Duration: 5 hours
Organizers/contact persons: Heidi Vinge
Title: Urban Farming and Sprawl – Land Conversion, Resistance and Community
Despite the strong protection by law of farmland, the city of Trondheim was allowed to convert 272 acres of high quality farmland as part of the area planning 2012-2024. The process of trying to protect the rest of the agricultural area under a “Green Line” ended with a police investigation following suspicion of interventions by developer interests into how the political decision-making proposal was designed.
This tour will visit two farms and an urban gardening initiative, which were part of this conflict in various ways. First, on the Presthus farm, we will hear the story of how alliances between owners, local organizations and the population managed to save the farmland from being lost to further urban development. Instead of asphalt, plans are now made for what has been named Norway’s largest adventure farm. We will also walk past the farmland where developers plan to build 2500 houses. We will then visit Voll farm that functions as both a competence center for urban farming, an activity center for inclusion of disabled youth, as well as, an open farm for the general public in Trondheim. The tour ends in the “communal urban agriculture initiative” in the idyllic Bakklandet neighborhood, where we will learn about the Trondheim urban agricultural strategy.
Time schedule:
08:30 - Departure hotel
09:00 - Arrival Presthus farm
10:30 - Arrival Voll farm
11-12:00 – Lunch/mingling/exploring farm and animals (Small lunch will be provided)
12:00 - Departure Voll farm
12:30 - Arrival Kneiken Communal Garden, Bakklandet
13:30 - Program ends. Free time to explore the city of Trondheim or ride bus back to the Clarion Hotel.
Tentative program:
- Bus tour via Rotvoll farm to Overvik and Presthus. Welcome and introduction by Heidi Vinge, Ruralis.
- Visit Presthus farm. Small tour and talk about farmland conversion and the planning process, representative from Presthus.
- Bus to Voll farm
- Visit Voll farm. Welcome talk and small tour by representative from Voll farm.
- Small meal and free time on Voll farm
- Bus to Bakklandet. Visit Urban farming initiative (Kneiken Communal Garden) in Bakklandet with a talk on Trondheim’s urban farming strategy by a representative from Trondheim municipality
- Free time to explore Trondheim or ride bus back to hotel that departs Bakklandet at 13:30
Wear walking shoes and clothes according to the weather.
The Overvik area where 2500 houses is planned. Photo: Heidi Vinge
Tour route with start at the congress hotel and end at the Old Town Bridge, Bakklandet. Bus will depart to hotel at 13.30, or participants can explore town on their own and walk back to the hotel.