There's a push for local food as world discovers Faroe Islands

The farmers’ market looked— let's be honest — sad. Conditions aren't friendly in the Faroe Islands for growing food. Raked by north Atlantic winds and nibbled by thousands of sheep, the nearly treeless islands have poor soil and little room for planting.

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Boats rest at a marina in Torshavn, Faroe Islands.

(Associated Press)

Potatoes and rhubarb are local staples. But some residents have had enough of importing almost all their food from the rest of Europe and beyond. Many products are stamped with the flag of Denmark, under which the islands are self-governing. There are efforts to grow more adventurous crops like kale, seen as hardy elsewhere in the world, and to promote local products — from seaweed to meat and fish “fermented” by the salty air. That work can be seen in the Faroese capital of Torshavn, where the tiny farmers’ market is held one Sunday a month for much of the year. In September, a few stalls offered meats, bags of kale and cabbage and seasoned salt next to the overcast harbour.

The vegetables were priced at around 40 Faroese krona (over $6) per bag, a reminder of the high prices for food in the remote islands whose closest neighbors are Iceland, Scotland and Norway. Cups of soup made from fermented local radishes — and imported beans — sold for 75 krona, or over $II, with a piece of bread. The farmers’ market is part of Matkovin, a project set up by a local couple to promote food producers. It notes the growing international interest in Faroese food, including a Michelin-starred restaurant and a network of home-cooked meals for tourists called “heimablidni.”