Edible Greenspace

During today's visits to Valby and Humlebaek, I was able to gain further insight into the Danish culture, revolving around greenspace. The first location that we visited, was a co-operative garden that is shared by a group of nine international gardeners. This garden was a place where the members could learn from one another, and practice different gardening techniques, with an emphasis placed on "just doing", rather than be rigid and calculated. According to one of the hosts, being a collective group and working on a single plot of land, was met by scrutiny by several directors, who claimed that it wasn't the traditional way of doing things. I realized that the Danes are very much obedient when it comes to certain aspects of their culture, which surprised me given the fact that they come of so liberal.

The second destination that we visited, was Aarstiderne farm, a business that is responsible for supplying and distributing healthy organic food throughout denmark. For many years now, Denmark has been a leader in the production of organic products. Given the importance of being green and living a healthy lifestyle, the consumption of organic foods has been steadily rising, and has become an important part of Danish life. During the tour, our guide explained that even though the price of organic food is noticeably more expensive, people are still willing to pay for organic products because they value healthy lifestyles. Aarstiderne provides an organic food service, creating boxes of organic fruits, vegetables, and meats, which can be delivered to households once a week. A great emphasis is places on sustainability and being environmentally friendly. Aarstiderne will only transport their goods by water or land, as they are the most fuel efficient ways of moving their product.

After experiencing the organic farm and learning about the importance of organic products in the Danish culture, I realized that their food choice very much reflected other aspects of their culture, which includes being green and living a healthy lifestyle. Even though food prices were more expensive, Danish people are willing to pay a little extra, even just a few times a week, in order to live healthier. This traditional way of living also extends into other areas such as farming practices, where the Danes remain closely tied to their rules and traditions, as seen by the scrutiny recieved by the group of international farmers.