Sustainable Forestry

Forestry is more than growing trees for the lumber industry. When you want to create a sustainable, growing situation, you will need to take into account the life cycle of the forest, presence of Human beings, and the other forms of land use you are engaging in. At Fabelskogen, we have a number of forestry activities which require special mentions:

Hiking Trails

  • Hiking trails need upkeep, since people need to be able to have an interesting but also safe hiking experience.
  • This means that the largest part of the woods will be designated as “wild growth”, and will be maintained but not thinned or logged unless necessary.
  • There are also amenities to consider, such as picnic sites, camping sites and public bathrooms.

Beekeeping

  • Since we intend to keep organic bees, this means that the upkeep of the meadows and forests needs to be done in line with sustainable forestry practices.
  • Bees also pollinate our fruit trees, vegetables and herbs. 

Holiday Cottages

  • The presence of holiday cottages means that we have to ensure that the presence of Humans does not negatively impact the surroundings.
  • This includes handling trash, water, waste and wifi/electricity.
  • One thing to consider is to limit access during times when the forest animals are in a vulnerable state (close to winter or when rearing young, for example).

Hunting and Fishing

  • Hunting generally will only take place as a way of controlling populations and sick animals. Even then, feeding to lure game is not allowed.
  • Fishing will be allowed, as determined by fishing licenses, as long as only rod and reel are used. Feeding to lure fish is not allowed.

Social Benefits

Beyond being a business, there are benefits that extend far beyond the basic economic use of a cottage/forestry industry in the area. By being part of the community, sharing the benefits and investing in the future, we will be able to expand the good we do in this world.

Local Craftsfolk

Themed cottages and sustainable, more traditional forestry requires older skills and authentic work.

In these cases, we can rely on woodworkers, metalworkers and agrarians from the area who have a lot of experience and can share with us their labour and show visitors the beauty of handcrafted work.

Eco Awareness

Visiting Fabelskogen means seeing how people can live with nature, not at the cost of it. 

We want to help innovate ways of living that bring more benefit to the world than we need to live in it, the socalled “footprint”. 

Mental Health

Our modern society and the pressure of the always-on economy can cause quite a lot of mental damage if not compensated for properly.

We hope to be able to offer space for people who need to take their distance and reconnect with nature and their own emotions in a simpler way.

Education

Everything we do can have educational benefits, from our project diaries to the details we put into our cottages that teach visiting childen new things about the world.

For us to have a positive impact, the memory has to linger, and for us that means providing an unforgettable experience!

Smallsteading overview

In order to offer everything required for guests, as well as maintain ecological beekeeping and forestry, a certain number of requirements need to be met. This means that we are currently looking for the plot that is just-right to encapsulate all these needs, as well as allow us to live in the vicinity of our beegarden.

Natural Environments

To safeguard our bees from pesticides and maintain a healthy stock, we will be looking for a plot that has non-ecological farming outside of the harvesting range of worker bees. 

Any forest included in the plot would be nice to include a source of water (such as a stream) and interesting vistas to maintain a hiking trail through.

Having, or being able to build, a farmhouse on a hill overlooking the meadow would be idea.

Meadow

Meadow, known as “betesmark” in Sweden, are large stretches of grassy field meant for grazing animals. However, in our case we will be setting up our beegarden (bigård) there, and the field will include as many wild flowers, clover and other bee-friendly plants as we can manage.

We would need about 4 hectares of meadow to be able to provide space for all the bees to forage, as well as receive needed support from the government’s agricultural ministry. 

Forest

Forest (“Skog”) is of great importance, because it provides wood, shade and improves the climate. It also serves as a natural windbreak, protecting the meadow area from the effects of heavy winds.

Additionally, it allows for wild animals to roam, and it provides opportunity for agroforestry, including berries, mushrooms and shaded plants. It also provides a specifically flavored honey known as skogshonung.

We would want at least 2 hectares of forest, but the more we can add, the better.

Farmhouse Plot

The farmhouse allows us to have a mortgage on the plot, and remain close to our beegarden. It also is the administrative center of the stuga rental, allowing us to monitor use of electricity and water.

We would be looking for a renovation project here, perhaps even a tear-down, with a solid basement (for storage of honey, wax and other produce). 

Supporting ourselves and adding to the educational value, we’d need about 0.5 hectare of space for smallsteading, storage and a shed for the beekeeping equipment.