Harvesting is Berry Good, Part 2
Part 2 - The abundance of wild berries was not expected. It’s been quite an education for us; learning how to harvest and process these wonderful gifts for God.
Huckleberry/Bogberry: (norsk: blåbær, [blo-bair])
Deep blue/purple, tart and sweet
In part 2 we will focus on the berry that is most collected by the locals in our mountainous region. This little berry resembles what we call in Montana, the huckleberry.
Early August was a blåbær extravaganza and still is if you head higher into the mountains.
We ventured out as a family to a recommended location and ended up gathering 4.7 kilos of blåbær in 1.5 hours! We were off a dirt road and up a steep hill surrounded by bushes of berries dripping in fresh mountain rain.
At the time, and especially now that we’ve been gathering in other areas as well, I was so struck by how untouched these little bushes were. Had anyone stood and gathered where I was stranding? Did the deer or moose even make it up on these high places to appreciate the sweetness of this patch of creation?
The kids and I have been reading the book “Hinds’ Feet on High Places” by Hannah Hurnard per a friend’s recommendation. There was a section of the book in which Much-Afraid is starting her journey for the high places with the Shepherd and she begins to observe a great carpet of flowers spread across the valley.
Once the Shepherd stooped and touched the flowers gently with his fingers, then said to Much-Afraid with a smile, “Humble yourself, and you will find that Love is spreading a carpet of flowers beneath your feet.”
Much-Afraid looked at him earnestly. “I have often wondered about the wild flowers,” she said. “It does seem strange that such unnumbered multitudes should bloom in the wild places of the earth where perhaps nobody every sees them and the goats and the cattle can walk over them and crush them to death. They have so much beauty and sweetness to give and no one on whom to lavish it, nor who will even appreciate it.”
“Nothing my Father and I have made is ever wasted,” he said quietly, “and the little wild flowers have a wonderful lesson to teach. They offer themselves so sweetly and confidently and willingly, even if it seems that there is no one to appreciate them. Just as though they sang a joyous little song to themselves, that is so happy to love, even though one is not loved in return.”
“I must tell you a great truth, Much-Afraid, which only the few understand…Many a quiet, ordinary, and hidden life, unknown to the world, is a veritable garden in which Love’s flowers and fruits have come to such perfection that it is a place of delight where the King of Love himself walks and rejoices with his friends.”
I thought of this passage as I swept over the blåbær bushes with my picker, giving thanks that I get to take-in this beauty and sweetness as a gift. I loved the possibility that this little patch of creation might be grateful to see me too. Perhaps these little blåbær also find delight in revealing themselves to me; one who appreciates their hidden allure and their joyous song of fruitfulness….Maybe they’ve been waiting for our family, all along.
“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
– Romans 8:19-21
With this heavenly harvest, we painstakingly sorted and de-stemmed these small berries and froze several bags to use later, sans a liter for which Karalee made Hare’s Haversack Crumble (a Redwall Cookbook Recipe), for dessert.
In part 3 we will wrap up this topic on berries talking about our experiences with some less known berries (to us), like gooseberry, cloudberry, crowberry and more.
Harvesting is Berry Good, Part 1
Part 1 - The abundance of wild berries was not expected. It’s been quite an education for us; learning how to harvest and process these wonderful gifts for God.
One of my (Jenny) dreams in moving to Norway, was to taste and make delicious things out of whatever delights I could forage locally. The availability of fresh fruits growing in the surrounding mountains and forests has been abundant! So I will take this time, for those who want to participate in my gratitude, to share with you what I have discovered, learned and cooked!
First, our berry picking tools. It’s not complicated. We strap on some sturdy shoes and layers appropriate for the ever-changing weather. Many berries can be gathered by hand, but for several types of berries, we can arm ourselves with this handy berry picking tool and some trusty buckets. Maybe you’ve seen this before, but I had never and find it very helpful! Just slide the metal teeth under the berries on the bush and the fruit falls into the tool’s handle box. Fill the box, empty into the bucket and the picking becomes quite efficient. The Norwegians are so innovative!
After we pick the berries, we use a simple screen to separate the berries from the twigs and leaves that our harvesting tools sometimes collect along with the berries.
Now, onto the berries!
Strawberries: (norsk: jordbær, [yor-bair])
Bright red, small and very sweet
We noticed early on in July that the strawberries in the groceries were beautiful; the kind I remember from growing up in Washington State. When I was a kid, strawberry season came with anticipation of strawberry shortcakes and freezer jams. When you bite into a fresh Washington strawberry, there is no white in the middle – just juicy red all the way through, picked in prime ripeness and demanded to be enjoyed quickly, lest they spoil – it’s the taste of summer.
This childhood memory came flooding back, when we picked up a small container at the local Kiwi (grocery store). It was so much the same: perfectly sweet and delicious with no water taste. Pure, unadulterated strawberry goodness. It was after first seeing the jordbær in the grocery that we found many people grow them in their gardens, which is always the best! A man brought them out for a snack when we were working his field, and another couple brought them to a church gathering.
It is also very common to find wild jordbær along paths and streams, just like hiking in Montana. A welcome treat!
Raspberry: (norsk: bringebær, [bring-eh-bair])
Red and pink, sweet and seedy
It was a tad dry this early summer in Hallingdal Valley, so according to the locals, the bringebær were puny. Tiny or not, we were still able to collect enough of these familiar berries around our new home to make something appetizing. We mixed them with the blåbær for a very tasty jam of which we have been enjoying on pancakes, toast and even in our yogurt!
Bog Bilberry: (norsk: blokkebær, [blok-keh-bair])
Pale blue, mild and sweet
Come late July, while hunting for local blueberries we discovered the Bog Bilberry. My trusty plant app and my taste buds helped me identify this berry as edible and I wanted to try to do something with it! So we brought home a couple small buckets and I turned it into a yummy jam thanks to this recipe: Bilberry Jam Recipe
From the information I’ve gathered, not many people bother with this berry, as they prefer the blueberry (blåbær), but we all thought it just find for our liking!
Read part 2 of this blog series to learn all about blåbær.
Family Ties
A dream come true! We finally visited the old family farm that belongs to my distant Norwegian relatives. And the stories…Oh the stories.
It was late January in 1998. I (Clayton) was flying back to Pacific Lutheran University after studying abroad in London and Paris for a month. This trip was my first adventure in Europe and my head swirled with all that I had experienced. The museums, masterpieces, cathedrals, symphonies, castles, displays of royal fortunes, the underground and more. However, something even more grand shifted my attention as I looked out the plane’s window. Now my gazed shifted down to Norway’s famous fjords. In that moment my heart swelled with a deep desire to “come to Norway”. Almost as if the land was calling to me. So, in that moment I prayed a simple but sincere prayer that I one day would be able to visit such a beautiful place. Only God knew that as a sophomore in college, this prayer would lead me to not just visit, but to live in Norway with my family!
One reason, I believe, that I had such a yearning to visit Norway is that I’m about 1/4 Norwegian. I knew that my grandmother, Serene, on my father’s side, had Norwegian roots. Her father came to America in the early 1900’s. But other than the little lefse rolls that my grandmother served during Harris family Christmas gatherings, I have known very little about that side of the family. As a result, so many questions have surfaced as a descendant of the Jangaard/Harris side of the family tree. Questions such as , why so much secrecy? Why so much emotional and spiritual immaturity? What about family legacy or inheritance?
Fast forward to August, 2025. We find ourselves living in Norway with an invitation to visit a friend and his family in Åndalsnes. When looking at the map, we realized that we would not be far from the area that my distant relatives had a family farm on the island of Valderøya, just offshore of the beautiful city of Ålesund. So, Jenny kicked into action and sent a message on a Jangaard family Facebook page in hopes that someone would be able to share with us how we may be able to meet some distant family members or even visit the old farm site. Well…with what felt like minutes…we had a response for a woman named Caroline. She shares with us that she is living on the farm and that she would love to host us. Once we shared with her that I am a descendant of Arne Jangaard, her enthusiasm jumped drastically as we would be the first from this branch of the family tree to visit from the United States. Plans were made and questions danced in my head as we made the 5.5hr drive to the west coast.
As we arrived to the house at the southern point of Valderøya island, Jenny and I joked that I better not screw this up as the entire reputation of this side of the family rested on me. Thankfully, my heart and mind calmed when we were greeted by Caroline with the warmth that a loving family member would give and we entered into her house to a flurry of “hallo, hei, hyggelig å møte deg (nice to meet you)” and handshakes. She had arranged quite the gathering of uncles, aunts and cousins from around the island and neighboring fjord. Oh how I wished to have had enough time to sit down and hear their stories, one-by-one.
However, this evening was about learning from the past and Caroline and her brother were well equipped with plenty of stories and family photos. After looking at a faded picture of the old farm, Caroline holds up a photo and says, “This is Arne, your great-grandfather. This is his wife Laura (we think that is her name). Did you know that he was married before going to America?”
My jaw dropped. “No! I had no idea that he was married twice. Tell me more.”
Caroline then proceeds to tell us the tragic story of how Arne’s wife, who struggled with mental heath issues and depression, committed suicide. Only three years into their marriage, pregnant with their first child, she walked into the ocean where the farm meets the water, never to be seen again. This crushed Arne. So, he moved to America, leaving all behind: His life and inheritance in Norway.
As I listened to this tragedy, I had so many thoughts and emotions circling in my mind. Then suddenly, like jumbled pieces of a puzzle, it all snapped together. It all made sense. Everything from my family history. All of the unanswered questions came into focus and into the light. Out of one man’s trauma a new branch was formed in the generational tree. A new legacy. A new inheritance. But not the kind that brings blessing, abundance and life. But one of secrecy, confusion, seclusion and instability. I could see that Arne didn’t have the tools to cope with his heartbreak. So he ran from it. But in doing so, he also sacrificed the inheritance that was his to steward and to pass onto the next in line.
Before meeting my relatives I’ve been really wrestling with the idea of inheritance/blessing and how it impacts the generations that follow. For most of us the idea of an inheritance or family blessing comes in the form of land, money, a business and more. It can also be spiritual, relational or come in the form of position, name, reputation or experiences. I’m learning that generational inheritance/blessing can take on so many different forms. With that in mind I’ve been asking God to bring clarity on the topic and to give me eyes to see how inheritance works according to His design and His kingdom’s principles. And, in a very unexpected way, He used this time with my distant relatives to bring so much into focus. He blew away the fog and I can now see what my spirit was wrestling with. That inheritance is real. It is a God ordained principle of life that is deep in in the fabric of the human experience. As a result, it is up to us, the current generation, to steward it well. it is up to us to nurture the spiritual and physical parts of life so that the blessing, not the curse, is passed through the next branches of the family tree. An inheritance of abundance, peace, clarity, wisdom and victory that can only come from our Creator and His Kingdom.
Just a few bible verses about inheritance & generational blessing:
Genesis 49: 26 & 28
The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors up to the furthest boundary of the everlasting hills;
may they be on the head of Joseph, and on the top of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers…All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.
Proverbs 13:22
A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.”
Leviticus 20:24
But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
See, I am placing before you today a blessing and a curse: blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.
1 Peter 1: 3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.
Colossians 1:12
…And giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.”
On the Goat Farm
Wow…what an amazing way to start our time in Norway!
We spent 2.5 weeks milking goats twice a day in the beauty of the Norwegian mountains. To begin our Norwegian adventure in this way, was both odd and rewarding:
Odd, because one is feeling all the jet-lag, emotions, joy and pain that comes with landing in a new country that is to be home for the coming year. These feelings come to you, while learning a completely new and foreign job (and trying to pick up the language). The animals are uncertain about you, you’re a bit uncertain about yourself, and the people who hired you find you interesting and perplexing. No matter what kindness is afforded to you or even lavished upon you, you’re still at the end of a gravel road, with the wild nature looming behind you, among strangers; excited for all that is possible in the coming weeks, and yet missing being known and cared for by friends and family.
Rewarding, because we learned to milk goats!! We woke up at 5:30am every morning (except two that we had off) and 5pm every evening. First thing we would do is head to the barn to prepare the machines and get the herd in order. All 147 lady goats and 25 kids had to be moved around to different parts of the barn so the milking could go smoothly. We had to learn cleaning, testing, putting on what can only be described as utter pumps (ha!), observing when utters were empty, when a sunburn needed to be cared for, and how to hand milk if necessary (it was necessary for a couple of the girls). We also became acquainted with the quirks of the machines and a few of the individual goats. We had Scarlet, who loved scratches and affection, and one we called Twinkle-Toes, who by her reaction to the milking process, probably wished she wasn’t born a goat, but certainly liked the treats that came with the gig. We had to carry ornery kids, who refused to go to their pen, encourage the old ladies to get up from their naps, and also observed some very disgusting behaviors common to livestock.
We also gained some Norge-cred by doing some Hallingdal haying over a couple days. I don’t even know how to describe this, other than it is some of THE hardest work any of us has ever done. Basically, we spent hours raking hay on very steep slopes. By participating in this farming tradition, we felt much closer with the farming family. This is the true brutal work of farming in Norway. Milking goats is useful and, over time, it becomes a task of doing the same thing over and over, excellently. But the haying connected us to the land and the people who have worked the valley for centuries. They use a tractor now instead of a sickle for cutting,, but the people still rake the grass down the slopes. It’s no wonder so many Norwegians moved to the Dakotas. I can only imagine how excited they were to work flat land, after the grueling task of haying the mountains.
In the end, we had milked 7,155 litres from the lady goats, created silly handshakes, earned the respect of our ‘boss’ who said we worked like “land-people” (and is considering hiring Americans in the future!), had a great tan from all the hiking, swimming and outside time, had mad respect for farmers all over the world and enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing we had done it! In that awe-inspiring landscape, in the loneliness, we had worked together to do something none of us had ever imagined doing…we felt strong, amazed and relieved that it was finally time to go home to Al.
On Our Way to Norway
We have arrived! Read more about our travles to Norge.
We did it! We have arrived in Norway and have jumped right into the rural Norwegian life. But the the miracles, albeit small, started at the SeaTac airport. When we arrived to check-in, they didn’t charge us for the overweight luggage that we were prepared to pay for: about a $450 savings! Then, thankfully all of our bags arrived and 2 of our 3 boxes (filled with books and home school supplies) were at the local post office. The 3rd box, after a hold up in customs, is on it’s way. Then, our friends Peter and Hege, who are now moving to Tacoma, WA after 8+ years of living in southern Norway, sold their car to us at a VERY affordable price. Thank you friends!!!
After a couple of days of overcoming jet-lag and setting up our house in Ål, we ventured up to the mountains to serve a wonderful family that runs a goat farm. This experience has been one-of-a-kind to say the least! More details to come soon.
As expected, Karalee and Alister have done an amazing job of adjusting to a new country with a strange language. The incredible beauty and friendly people make it all worth it.
Final Days in the States
We entered the hallway to Norway, as we departed from Bozeman. Joyous ‘see-you-laters’ are definitely harder than relief-filled departures. We are so blessed to have so many people and places to be grateful for…
We left Bozeman on June 14th and made our way to the playground of joy at Silverwood Theme Park in Northern Idaho. This is our second year going to the park as a family and truly, everyone should go there; its a delight! Roller coasters, water roller coasters, wave pools, caramel apples, steam train, plenty of shade small crowds on Sundays. Our day in the park landed on Father’s Day and the day before Clayton’s Birthday, so we made it into a fun celebration. We have stayed in Sandpoint, Idaho the last two years, about a half-hour away from the park, and love the atmosphere of this small town. Evans Brothers Coffee is a particularly nice find and highly recommended. After a day in the park, we hit the road for the PNW.
What a joy it was to hand deliver hugs and ‘see-ya-laters to many friends and family in Washington State. We also, enjoyed some treasured memory-making. Watching my brother get married and also going to the Point Defiance Zoo with his family. Swimming in the Puget Sound, long talks around lunch tables and on the beach at Cattle Point. Catching newts, walking to Hicks Lake, tide pool exploring, and eating lots of seafood and Trader Joe’s treats. Meeting Mac (finally!), watching our nephew play baseball, gazing at massive trees and admiring the mild-weather gardens and abundance of produce that Washington affords. Deep heart stories and new “Baralee and Malister” chapters, Stacking wood and picking raspberries with grandparents. Flying with Uncle Tom and meeting a new kitten. All of it was special.
It seems strange to be leaving the States for this wild adventure, but it also feels right. We know Norway is where God has lead us and the encouragement of all of you has kept us bold and resilient, when we feel crazy or tired. So see-ya later Montana, Idaho and Washington. We look forward reuniting again soon. xx
