PROGRAM

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The conference will be held at Hotel Narsarsuaq in Narsarsuaq, Greenland over the course of eight days / seven nights. There will be engaging and thought-provoking presentations from both Greenlandic and North Atlantic speakers on four of the days; there will be a full-day Excursion Day for discovery in nearby sheep farming settlements; and there will be a free day to either take Extra Courses, go on book-self tours around the area, or get into deep conversation with old friends and new contacts. And without a doubt, your tastebuds will be spoiled with tasty locally-sourced dishes. The first day and final day will be dedicated to travel.

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The Exhibit will be open throughout the conference, and the Marketplace will be open on select days over the course of the conference.

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Daily Schedule:

• Tue, 12 July – Arrival & Check-in / Registation

 

• Wed, 13 July – Conference all day

 

• Thur, 14 July – Conference all day

 

• Fri, 15 July – Excursion Day

 

• Sat, 16 July – Conference all day

 

• Sun, 17 July – Conference all day

 

• Mon, 18 July – Free day; Extra courses available, for additional fee (see below) 

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• Tue, 19 July – Departure

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FINAL PROGRAM

(Click the program to enlarge)

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Notable Speeches:

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"North Atlantic Native Sheep & Wool through 10 years" by conference founder, Karin Flatøy Svarstad. 

A discussion of how this conference came to be, the importance of international networking amongst people with like interests, and the role visibility plays for addressing challenges in the wool industry. A holistic overview of the full sheep and wool industry throughout the entire North Atlantic region.

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"Wool in the North" by Svanhildur Pálsdottir. 

For the last two years, stakeholders from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway have been working on a project funded by NORA (Nordic Cooperation) to ultimately revive the use of local wool in the respective countries, thereby combatting the widespread and unsustainable trend of wool waste. The partners travelled together in Norway earlier this spring to visit everyone from farmers and hobby felters to textile museums and full-blown mills. By the time of the conference, they will have also just completed a similar visit in South Greenland, and later this autumn, the group will finish with a tour in the Faroe Islands. In time, these trials will be turned into traveller-friendly experiences to be marketed collectively in the umbrella of sustainable rural tourism. Svanhildur Pálsdottir from the Icelandic Textile Center will introduce this important NORA project with a discussion of where the project stands today and what the future vision is.

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"Traveling Knots: Weaving the Vikings' Life Insurance" by Marta Kløve Juuhl & Monika Ravnanger.

These two women from Østeroy Museum in Norway will give a discussion on a textile research project about a reconstruction of a 1000-year-old shaggy woolen textile from Borgund Kaupang near Ålesund, Norway. Borgund was a Norwegian small city during the Viking Age, but after the year 1500 it did not exist any longer. Finally, there will be a discussion of similar shaggy woolen fragments, which are found around the North Atlantic - for example the Heynes fragment from Iceland and three fragments from Greenland (Landnamsgården ved Narsaq, Gården under Sandet and the farm Narsarsuaq ).

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"Building a Sustainable Farm with Shetland sheep & cattle" by Ronnie Eunson.

One man's story of moving from conventional sheep farming to focussing on marketing native sheep products in a modern consumer market - essentially finding the perfect place in the future for breeds from the past. A description of all aspects of native sheep production, processing of products, marketing, sales, and suggestions towards future developments.

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"Faroese Wool: Challenges and Opportunities" by Dorthea Joensen.

A discussion of Faroese sheep holding and wool. There will be a description of the wool collection process at the speaker's organisation Búnaðarstovan – The Agricultural Agency. In particular, how to collect the wool, sort and pack it and later market it for sale. Finally, a note on the challenges of finding interested buyers and opportunities to get the wool used.

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"Breeding of Norwegian spelsheep, from rescue to winner" by Sven Reiersen.

Norwegian spelsheep was original the dominant sheep breed in Norway. But in the late 1800's, continental breeds were introduced, which turned out to be more productive and became more popular among farmers. In 1912, the number of spelsheep were at a critical level and a rescue operation was established with breeding stations and a breeding program. Over the years, the program has worked, and now, in 2022, Norwegian spelsheep are competitive in the market and are becoming more popular year by year.

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"Manx Loaghtan Sheep: A Thin Line Between Survival and Extinction" by Jenny Shepherd.

Manx Loaghtan sheep were left on the Isle of Man by the Vikings over a thousand years ago and have been close to extinction more than once. The talk will briefly cover this breed's history, the amazing attributes it has which are especially favourable for wool and meat, and sustainable measures to ensure the breed persists for at least another one thousand years.

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"Leader Sheep in Iceland - History - Future" by Daniel Hansen.

Leader Sheep is special race of sheep which only exists in Iceland. It is bred because of its intelligence, it senses for weather changes and its leadership in the flock. The Leader Sheep finds the best track and is useful to lead sheep from one place to another. This race has been used by farmers since the first settlers came to Iceland and is part of our history and culture. The Leader sheep has a different wool which today is very popular and has been made into may products, as it is softer than other wool. The meat is also different, with very little fat content. As there are only around 1200 individuals remaining, we are applying to UNESCO to have it accepted as an endangered species. 

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MEALS

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Gastronomy is one of the things South Greenland does best, so be prepared to eat a lot of exciting dishes! The region is unofficially called "The Garden of Greenland", and the local chefs, fishermen and farmers, hunters and herders, and culinary students are working to turn that into a more official, internationally-renowned status. In fact, two local producers in South Greenland have been nominated for EMBLA Food Awards. In short, you are sure to be full and satisfied, with the opportunity to taste a wide range of local South Greenlandic specialties.

 

All meals will be served daily in Restaurant NuNa at Hotel Narsarsuaq, including Arrival Day, the Free Day and Departure Day (where applicable). There is also the possibility to try out the modest selection of small cafes in the settlement. On Excursion Day, you will eat a nice lunch in the settlement you visit. On Conference Days, there will also be mid-morning and mid-afternoon coffee/tea breaks in addition to lunch and dinner.

 

Dinner will be served daily at Restaurant NuNa, and there will be a variation between buffets and plated dinners. 

 

Meals are included in the conference particitation fee. Note: alcoholic beverages must be paid on your own.

 

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Sample dishes from Restaurant NuNa include:

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• Braised South Greenlandic lamb with poached leeks

• Lamb fillet with Jerusalem artichoke & onion

• Minke whale tataki with capelin, horseradish and iginneq (fermented Hooded seal fat, a specialty from the Cape Farewell area of South Greenland)

• Smoked lamb with angelica and a horseradish cream cheese

• Pan-fried Arctic char with garlic, beerbread chips and a summer salad

• Angelica chocolate-covered ice cream bomb 

• Harebell granita

• Arctic thyme brulee with bluebell and herbs

 

 

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