Even as Ola and Kari Nordmann have moved to the cities, the agricultural landscape continues to hold great significance for most of us. This is where much of our food is produced, where we find everyday nature experiences, and where many of us engage in everyday recreation and outdoor activities.
In 1990, approximately 72 percent of the Norwegian population lived in cities and towns. Over the past decades, this proportion has increased, and today about 82 percent of Norway’s population resides in urban areas. However, this does not diminish the importance of agriculture and the agricultural landscape for us.
Historically, we chose to settle “in the middle of the food bowl.” Our cities developed where the best and most abundant agricultural land was available. This proximity ensured a short distance from farm to table, and favorable climatic conditions further supported agriculture.
The Agricultural Landscape is Our Everyday Landscape As a result, the agricultural landscape has become the “everyday landscape” for an increasing share of Norway’s population. Many of us travel through these landscapes on our way to work or school, and it’s where we take evening walks on busy weekdays. Our surveys show that 70 percent of Norway’s population still lives within 500 meters of agricultural land.
The agricultural landscape is diverse and rich in content. It’s not just about fields and pastures; it contains much more. There are waving fields of grain, blooming bean fields, rows of various berries and vegetables, and meadows with timothy and clover.
Looking closer, we can discover much more within the agricultural landscape. Standalone trees dominate the scenery, and there are also field islands with clearance cairns, stone walls, streams, and ditches. Perhaps even a pond or two? The narrow strips of grass and weeds, along fences and roadsides, are teeming with life, as documented through the “Mellomrommet” project. Here, foxes, deer, badgers, and a variety of bird species find shelter and a place to call home. Insects thrive along the flower-rich edges between fields and forests.
Landscape Matters to Us Surveys have shown that most Norwegians prefer an agricultural landscape that contains these elements when asked about their favorite landscape. Many of us also engage in some form of recreation in the agricultural landscape. A recent survey revealed that more than 50 percent of respondents take walks on (former) farm roads or paths through the fields. Landscape aesthetics were also highlighted, with more than 50 percent of over 2000 respondents emphasizing the significance of landscape aesthetics during leisure activities in the agricultural landscape.
Open landscapes offer stunning views. An analysis of images uploaded to the photo-sharing service Flickr over a four-year period showed that agriculture was present in a significant number of the examined pictures. It’s not necessarily the agricultural areas themselves that are photographed but rather the open fields that offer vistas of fjords, mountains, or well-kept farmsteads. So, even though the agricultural landscape and its surrounding areas only cover 9 percent of Norway’s total land area, 19 percent of the downloaded images were taken within this landscape.
Aerial and Ground-level Photos Many landscape changes are clearly visible in aerial photographs. We can observe fields taking on simpler shapes, with the narrow strips between ditches or two field islands no longer being cultivated. Corners are rounded off to reduce the need for turning and reversing large machinery. Shrubs are encroaching on grazing lands.
As part of documenting the state and changes, we also photograph the agricultural landscape from ground level. This allows us to capture changes that are not as easily seen in aerial photographs or on maps. We see buildings changing their function from barns to storage facilities. We witness technological changes, such as larger combine harvesters, and where hedges once stood, meadows are now dotted with white “tractor eggs.” We also observe that grazing pressure is not strong enough in many places to prevent encroachment by shrubs and vegetation.
Ground-level photos help us communicate and explain the changes, making them recognizable. When we return in a few years to re-photograph the same locations, we can analyze the transformations.
Accessibility Changes In the 3Q program, we also monitor whether the landscape becomes more or less accessible. Many field edges and narrow strips between fields and pastures allow people to move through the landscape without trampling crops. Tractor roads have also contributed to making the landscape more accessible for travel, especially where agricultural areas act as a barrier between public roads and forests. However, there is another trend regarding paths and tractor roads. There is significant variation between regions, but in many places, there are fewer opportunities for travel as field sections are combined, and paths become overgrown.
Whether we are aware of it or not, the agricultural landscape is significant for many of us. We see “through it” when we gaze at mountains or fjords. We take walks in it. We capture it in photographs. And we have opinions about what makes it beautiful. The agricultural landscape is much more than just an area for food production; it holds a special place in our hearts.