Earth matters

[Otern]

Take a look at France to help understand EU subsidies. The average farm is about 100 acres, the same as the one I'm on. Farmers in France are a huge lobby who will close the roads and ports at the drop of a hat if they feel wronged. They set lorries on fire and have a big influence on how France sees subsidies from Brussels. The govt here has only guaranteed the subsidies for 5 years IIRC and a lot off small farms will fold without them, spray or die and only grow wheat.
As it is farms have to diversify to survive, farm shops, petting zoos and camps like we have here.

Oh, the farmers in France have every reason to be pissed off. Farmers all across Europe have good reason to be.

Also, 100 acres is pretty large from a Norwegian point of view. That's around twice as large as an average Norwegian farm now. And three times larger than the average ten years ago.

The trend all across Europe (including Norway) seems to be centralization, and larger and larger farms. This is awful for the environment, and for the rural areas and employment as a whole. Also, it's terrible for exploiting hard to get areas, and makes every farm more dependent on foreign concentrate exports.

But at least the urbanites get cheaper food. Even though we already have an obesity epidemic all over the western world.

The government here now, says farmers should diversify by making wine, booze and cider. It's a pretty awful "solution", as farmers are already overworked or need an extra job to make ends meet. They make the safest, most environmentally friendly, and the most animal friendly food in the world, and they're getting fucked by every major party, because the average person never really understood where food comes from, or how much work it is to do it the right way. Food is something we buy on the supermarket, meat is in a nice package, we don't know the name of the cow that brought us the burger.

Over the top centralization has been the worst thing happening for Europe, as too many people have become urbanized, and too far removed from the reality of their existence.

Historically, farmers have had every reason to be pissed off. And they're pissed of now too.

[Otern]

We call them 'lamb chops'. Not as popular as pork, but they aren't really served often over here.

Don't think it's the same thing. Pinnekjøtt is salted, dried, then steam cooked.

[SuburbanFarmer]

We call them 'lamb chops'. Not as popular as pork, but they aren't really served often over here.

Don't think it's the same thing. Pinnekjøtt is salted, dried, then steam cooked.

Oh ok, different prep then. You guys really like doing that... Ludefisk is the same, right? I recently ran into something similar at the meat market, that's popular in Brazil and Portugal - I just don't remember the name. Basically salted, dried cod, but not fermented the same.

[Montegriffo]

I think we agree that the ignorance of the extreme arguments put forward by eco-nazis does the cause no good. No point bitching that someone is putting their food wrappings in the wrong recycling bin when we should be lobbying the supermarkets to stop using so much of it in the first place. If I think they have used packaging here in an unnecessary way I pay for my shopping, leave the pointless wrapping at the till for them to sort out and walk away saying nothing.

[pettertb]

Tørrfisk is dried cod (good snack, hit it with hammer first). Klippfisk is salted dried cod.

Pinnekjøtt is delicious. It is not the traditional xmas food for me, but is really good. I got 5kg dirt cheap the other year, nice and useful salted meat.

[Montegriffo]

What does a Viking eat for Christmas? We have sold out on the traditional goose and now eat turkey like the bloody Americans with their culture war, destroying our traditions with nonsense like trick or treat.

[Otern]

We call them 'lamb chops'. Not as popular as pork, but they aren't really served often over here.

Don't think it's the same thing. Pinnekjøtt is salted, dried, then steam cooked.

Oh ok, different prep then. You guys really like doing that... Ludefisk is the same, right? I recently ran into something similar at the meat market, that's popular in Brazil and Portugal - I just don't remember the name. Basically salted, dried cod, but not fermented the same.

Not really the same. Never tried lutefisk. Doesn't sound too tasty. Put in water for a few days, then in lye for a few days, until it looks like jelly. It's not fermented or salted though, just dried before it's watered.

Maybe you're thinking of gravlaks, raw, salted, and fermented salmon. Never tried that either. It's pretty popular on bread.

Not much of a fish person really. Of the weird one's I've only tried håkarl; poisonous shark, buried and fermented for three months. Tastes like ammonia and fish. Not too bad.

Then there's the thing I'm sure I'll never try; surströmming. Swedish herring. Part food, part chemical weapon. Fermented in an open environment until it makes propionic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, and hydrogen sulphide. The quickest way to evacuate any building is opening a can of it. And it's the primary reason why Sweden has never been conquered.

Norway exports quite a lot of dried fish to the Spaniards and the Portuguese, but it's not of the "just fuck my shit up"-kind of dishes.

[Montegriffo]

That rotten Herring is the one that is illegal to open in a public place the smell is so bad, or is that something else?

[SuburbanFarmer]

I don't... even....

Rotted herring? Hydrogen Sulfide? You fuckers are insane..

[Otern]

What does a Viking eat for Christmas? We have sold out on the traditional goose and now eat turkey like the bloody Americans with their culture war, destroying our traditions with nonsense like trick or treat.

Pinnekjøtt.

Those easterners eat pork ribs like any dirty Dane.

Serious answer; most eat pork ribs, as it's popular in the most populated regions like the east and the middle, while pinnekjøtt is a close second, eaten primarily in the west and the north.