The room is built into the ground – won the prize

It all started with a sale in the store. Now guests from all over the world flock to the Farm Hotel, which this week received an outstanding award.

Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell in Inderøya in Trøndelag has rooms built into the ground. Through sustainable design, selection of materials and food based on local ingredients, Inderøy has created an attraction with local roots, jobs and international fame.

– This summer we will be visiting newlyweds from both Singapore and Germany, who will be hosting the party in Inderøya, says Frode Sakshaug, who runs the venue with his wife Kristen Dalling Sakshaug.

Now the couple and venue have won a Business Development Award in Agriculture. This is the second year in a row that a company from Trøndelag has won.

A very worthy winner

Innovation Norway awards the award on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. It is a business and business development award for those who have established a successful company or industry based on the resources of villages and agriculture. An awards ceremony was held in Kristiansand on Tuesday night, in connection with this year’s Norwegian Travel Workshop.

– That’s a very worthy winner. It’s an inspiring project that shows that local collaboration and brave ideas can lead to jobs and international recognition,” Division Leader Elisabeth Svanholm Meyer of Innovation Norway said about Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell.

“golden swirl”

At Inderøya, they benefit from the cooperation they have with other companies. “The Golden Detour” is a collaboration that has existed for 25 years in Inderøya, consisting of 22 companies in the field of local foods, arts and crafts, farm shops, accommodation and restaurants. The turn is around the turn off the E6 and a small detour before exiting again on the E6 slightly ahead. Maybe after a few days in Inderøya.

– This is a great tribute to us at Øyna, our local suppliers in Trøndelag and everyone at the Golden Detour we work with, which is a very essential part of our hotel concept. We do this primarily to create a display that the local environment and partners can be proud of. Now we will use this award to further develop the company, along with our employees, and create a stronger unit, says Frode Sketch.

42 people in turn

Social and environmental sustainability are important criteria for receiving the Business Development Award in Agriculture. Øyna provides both full-time and part-time employment, and currently has 15 years of permanent employment, including 3 interns. Last summer, there were 42 people on the payroll, and the proportion of local youth was large. Concrete and solid wood construction of the hotel entails low energy costs.

The company also enjoys financial sustainability. The Landscape Hotel was completed before COVID-19 shut down tourism. Despite this, the company managed to achieve growth in turnover and achieve a good financial result.

We are very grateful for the support we have received from Innovation Norway in recent years. Without this support, Kristen Sackchoge says, this project might not have been completed and these jobs created.

Side block and happy pigs

This year’s winner was from Trøndelag, while the finalists were from Vestland and Viken, and there are completely different projects they developed.

Siderklynga in Hardanger has developed and marketed the link between the farm experience, local transportation companies and hotels. The main attraction is a boat safari with visits to farms with side tastings and local food presentation. There are short-distance sides that are produced on farms that are ideally located between high mountains and the arms of a fjord. 21 factories participate in this cooperation.

Nedre Skinne farm is located next to Norefjell, along the green bank of the Krøderfjord. Here, happy, stress-free pigs have their own Pig Beach, are organically fed, soy-free and live in the woods. The Skinne farm is essentially a regular, comprehensively managed, profitable farm, but the winners see opportunities, use all of the farm’s resources, and take on the entire value chain themselves. They have several legs to stand on. The farm produces organically grown lamb, pork, raw grains, berries and hides. Production is based on direct sales. They also run green tourism on the farm, and there are many accommodation options and activities.

Annual Awards Ceremony

Each year, a winner is selected in each county who receives 50,000 NOK. The winners from the province then compete for the national prize of 250,000 kroner. Last year, it was chocolatier Jentene på tunet, also from Trøndelag, who ran away with a win.