My name is Alena Bürge. I am a Seventh-day Adventist from Switzerland, living together with my husband, Bruno, our daughter Katja and her husband Daniel Würzer. We had for a long time been aware of the need for us Adventists to leave the city (St. Gallen) and move to the countryside. But like so many of us we had postponed it, thinking it is probably not so urgent. But then God showed us clearly that time was running short. So, we intensified our search.
Finding a property
We soon realized that buying a farm in our own country would simply be too expensive. The same with neighbouring German-speaking countries, like Austria or Germany. Therefore, we turned our eyes towards regions with warm temperatures, thinking it would simplify our work on the future farm. We started looking for properties in southern Europe and even in South America. But it seemed like God was closing the door for us in these countries. Various hinders kept popping up.
One evening I asked God for advice and he responded… Sweden! “-No”, I yelled. “It is too dark, too cold, the language would be such a barrier and…” The list of objections was long and to me, very convincing. So, we kept on searching, but every now and again also asking God for his opinion. And unfortunately, every time we did, the same answer came back: Sweden. We therefore decided that we would make a trip to Sweden, just to explore the area. But also to prove God wrong, I thought. We arrived in late summer 2019 (August/September) and were able to have a base camp on the property of our good friends, Henry and Solvejg Stober. They live in the south-western part of the country, a region named Dalsland. From there we checked out a number of properties that seemed ok to us. But not to God. He closed the door for us, every time. We had more or less decided to give up and head back home when Henry asked if we had checked out a property, situated just a few kilometers from his own house. We had not, so we went there and fell in love. We had found our new home – the Jonte farm.
Moving in
Contracts were signed and in early January 2020 we moved in. Our friends said we were crazy, echoing the same objections that I myself had had about Sweden. “Too dark and too cold and a language that is difficult to learn”, they said. “Why leave the comfortable life in Switzerland?” Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Every country in Europe experienced lock-down, quarantine, mandatory face masks, fines if you didn’t comply. But not in Sweden. Sweden was the only exception. Overnight, our friends changed their views. “How came you know?”, they asked.
But our move was far from trouble free. We soon realized that we had not been enough thorough with securing that everything on the farm would work as expected. That first winter was very hard for us and there were many times that we despaired. First, we realized that the water pump was broken and that the filter had to be replaced. The water itself was also fizzling, since it was filled with carbon dioxide. Once the filter was in place, we turned the taps on and let the water run for several days before the problem was resolved. The next problem was the heating system. The old fireplace was not working, nor was the tiled oven. Also, the pipes leading to the radiators were leaking. The heating system as a whole had to be replaced and refitted. Next, there was heavy rain and strong winds and we realized that the roof was leaking. I could go on and on, telling you about our many challenges that first winter, but we stop here.
As you know, there is snow in Sweden. Not as much as you would probably expect, at least not in the south. But nevertheless, living in the countryside means that you need four-wheel drive cars, preferably fitted with studded tyres. A tractor or a quad with a plough is also a must.
Farming experiences
Before coming to Jonte, our experience with farming was limited to just ordinary garden work. So, this was a huge step. We started out buying and assembling three green houses. We also ploughed the existing fields and started growing various vegetables and root crops. A fruit garden was planted and the berry field was expanded. The yields from our work in the first year were ok, but not great. We also bought chicken and some ducks, the latter to protect the plants from the many ‘murder snails’ (Spanish garden snail) that you find everywhere in Sweden. If left alone, these snails would eat up everything that is green in the garden.
We learned a lot in the first two years. Early on, we realized that it would take many years to improve the existing soil. For that reason, we started to use a technique called ‘no-dig’, meaning we put new soil (approx. 15 cm) on top of the old, with only a piece of cardboard in between. That way the soil underneath will gradually improve, and we can experience the benefits of the new soil already the first year. We built high-beds for our herbs and built fences (in some case with electricity) around every field to protect us from the wild animals. We have extended our growing capacity quite a lot, with new green houses, extra fields and high-beds, a second fruit garden and much more.
There are many challenges in the garden. As mentioned, wild animals like dear, mice, elk, fox and eagles try to eat what they find. Snails try to eat the green vegetables. Caterpillars destroy your cruciferous (cabbage plants) and mice attack trees, roots and our storage places. On top of that we have experienced very low temperatures, as late as in June (every year). We have had both flooding and draught, poor quality of the soil and also manure that we bought. And for every problem we have to have a response, at best before it happens and if not, as a response when it happens. To stay on top, we’ve had to read a lot and learn from other people’s experiences and good advice.
The call to leave the cities and move to the countryside is beginning to have an effect. We can clearly see that in our region here in Sweden. Since we moved here, we have experienced a dramatic increase in the number of adventist families and couples moving here. To make things easier for these newcomers we decided to arrange a garden course this year. Here Katja, who is our teacher, shares the knowledge that she has built up since moving to Sweden. The course has been well received and appreciated by those attending.
This year was very successful. Our cultivations have provided more than we need. The soil that we bought was of excellent quality. We’ve worked hard to take care of the result, ensuring a rich food store for the winter and beyond. We also arranged a Thanksgiving party where we invited both people in our neighbourhood, friends from our garden course and people we have met on various occasions during our time here in Sweden.
In September this year (2023) we arranged a permaculture course. This technique seems very promising. With this technique we expect to make our cultivations self-sustaining, meaning that it will manage its own need for water, fertilization, minerals and everything it needs to be healthy and bring rich crops, year after year. Starting next season, that is the direction in which we are going. And this is also our recommendation and advice to you – go permaculture. It will require a lot of work the first years, but in the long run it will pay off and you’ll be able to cut down on the necessary work in the garden to 2-3 hours per day and person (which is a huge difference compared with today).
The family Is growing
Jonte farm is a bit of a collective community. We were, as mentioned, initially four people (the Bürge / Würzer families). But, starting from January 2022 we have expanded to a group of eight persons, everyone with his or her particular skills. The purpose for our move to Sweden was not only to grow our own food and to become independent from the state, but also to reach out to the Swedish people, trying to win souls for Christ. So, the expansion of our group also reflects that aim. And since the health reform is the right arm of the gospel, we’ve also wanted to include such skills in the group. But building a community like this is not an easy task. Extra care should be spent in finding the right mindset in the people that join. This is a big challenge and we have experienced a few problems in this area too.
Conclusions / recommendations
Moving to Sweden is perhaps the best thing we’ve ever done as a family. Why did it turn out so good? Because we followed the advice God gave us. He knew, even though we hesitated. But you can rest assured that there is hard work waiting, once you decide to follow God’s calling. Below is a list of advice and recommendations that we would like to give to you as a reader.
Before the move
Be thorough when investigating where to move. Make a list of conditions that must be fulfilled, in both, the target area where you plan to move, and the property that could be of interest.
Make sure to visit and explore the area beforehand.
Also, make sure that a thorough inspection is performed on the target buildings and property before you sign the contract. Preferably, you should contact a professional for this and secure that there are no visible errors and an agreement for what to do in case hidden errors later pop up.
Farming, maintenance and team building
Go permaculture straight away. Focus on water supply, sun and soil.
Water supply is always a problem. You either have too much or too little of it. With permaculture comes many good advice for how to manage your water supply in general.
Start small, grow bigger and bigger with time, learning from the experiences.
Read a lot both before and after you move. There is a lot to learn.
Expect to adapt your plans very often. Things will happen along the way. Not least with all the animals and insects that will threaten your own plans. Be aware that these problems occur as a sign and symptom that something is wrong or missing. It should therefore prompt you into action to find a long-term solution.
Make no mistake, moving to the countryside is not a ‘dance on roses’. There will be challenges of all kinds, not only with the garden work but also with buildings and machines. And for that, it is vital that you have a capacity to work hard and that you have the skills to fix many of these problems by yourself. Otherwise, it will be very costly.
Building a team: Make a list of all the skills required on the farm. Keep that in mind when building the group. Divide the work the members. Also, be aware that social and personality aspects are equally important when it comes to team building.
Specific for countries with cold temperatures (Sweden)
Four-wheel drive cars and a tractor or quad with a plough is a must here in Sweden.
A winter garden to enable yourself to speed up the growth of your plants early in the season is also sensible since there is a risk for frost late in the season, frost that is otherwise threatening the harvest.
Other
Yes, farming is great fun, but we must never forget our main calling – to win souls for Christ. It is important to find time for evangelisation – to spread the gospel. And for this, it is vital that we can speak the language (Swedish). There is a lot we can tell you regarding our experiences with this, but I will save that story for later.
As Adventists we know that the health reform is the right arm of the gospel. What we grow in the garden should preferably not only be for own benefit, but also for people around us and for treatments in accordance with the eight laws of health. But again, this is a wider topic, something for a later story.
Despite the challenges and very hard work that we’ve experienced after our move to Sweden and Jonte Farm we have never regretted it. To go back to the old life is not an option. If anything, we should have done this earlier.
So, if you consider leaving the city and moving to the country, my advice would be: Don’t hesitate. Just make sure you are thorough and that God is with you all the time. If so, you cannot fail.
Alena Bürge is originally from Switzerland. She started the multimedia evangelism project there with her husband Bruno and her daughter Katja over 14 years ago. Today she lives on a farm in Sweden with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, as well as 4 people who didn't know each other before. There, they founded the Jonte project together 4 years ago. Their goal is to revive the Reformation in Sweden and bring the health message to people, combined with self-care and courses.
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