This little farm at Eide in Nord-Møre is now in the middle of its second network of small scale cheese producers, "Small and far-seeing second-years".
Many possible answers
"There aren't many around here doing anything like this, so it has been very useful to get to know other cheese makers," says his wife Othild. "Travelling out and seeing what things are really like has been unbelievably important. Traditionally, Norwegian farmers have had one certain way of doing things. But there are so many possible answers," says Asbjørn. The couple have gained more confidence in themselves and their own cheese making after seeing how they do it at small cheese makers in renowned cheese producing countries like Switzerland and France. "They are not so different from us and we have been able to confirm that what we are doing is right," concludes Asbjørn.
From burned out to fresh spark
Asbjørn and Othild worked in the health service for 38 years between them, as well as running the farm. Asbjørn was also a contractor for a time. "Then one day I said to the wife: I've had enough! Then we decided to go on an agricultural tour of the Czech Republic," explains Asbjørn. "I was embarrassed on that trip, because I just hadn't been bothered about getting things done. We have so many advantages compared with what they had there. We determined to make the effort," he says. That was in 2001. Othild joined a cheese making course and learned about setting up a company and slowly but surely the new farm operation took shape. In 2006 a brand new cheese making facility was ready. They had already been making cheese in the cellar for several years. This year they also started up agritourism and totalled over 200 bed nights in the course of the summer. "We're starting to get the taste for this - there are so many opportunities. So we'll have to see what we can do next," say this committed couple. Both of them now work full time on the farm.
Cultivating the market
Derinngarden produced 1.5 tonnes of cheese in 2007, but has the capacity to make 4-5 tonnes. They also produce milk, are involved in local tourism and make fruit juice, jam and other products from the farm produce. "Building up a market takes such a long time. Customer follow up is enormously demanding," says Othild. As well as the farm shop and the Farmers' Market, the cheese is sold in a specialist shop, in selected hotels and restaurants and a handfull of Coop stores in the county and a couple of places in Oslo. Derinngarden has also joined matnorge.no, which is a new, Internet-based sales channel for grocery stores. Several other network members have also joined.
Networking in practice
"I have been to many courses where they tell you how important it is to build networks. Now I actually understand what that means," says Asbjørn Tjugen. The network Derinngarden is part of has been made available by the Network Programme for the Food Industry, which is part of Innovation Norway's value creation programme for food in the agricultural sector. The programme is managed by Nofima Mat at Ås. Previously the farm also received technical assistance in pilot production through an agreement Nofima Mat has with the Norwegian Agricultural Authority for those involved in organic production and processing.
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