The farmers at Vogar I run a tourism business with a wide range of services, in addition to their traditional farming operation. The farm is located by Lake Mývatn and is well known for its restaurant Vogafjós, which is popular among both domestic and foreign tourists. In connection with the restaurant, they also run a country store that sells gift items, souvenirs, and handicrafts. A guesthouse is also operated on the farm. The major advantage of Vogafjós as a restaurant lies in the close connection of its operation with the farming on the property. Guests are allowed to take a peek into the cowshed and pet calves and taste fresh milk straight from the cows.
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Family Business in the Countryside
The same family has lived in Vogar for 120 years. Traditionally farming was the source of livelihood together with various utilizations of what nature offered. The tourism business started with the opening of the restaurant in 1999, and a guesthouse with 24 rooms was added in 2005. Today, 15-20 people work for the company year-round, but during the summer, over 40 people are employed by the company. In the operation of the restaurant, emphasis is placed on keeping supply chains as short as possible, and a large part of the food ingredients is produced on the farm. The company is a family business that has been developed through intergenerational cooperation and in close connection with the local community.
Sustainable Food Production
Beef and lamb meat are produced on the farm, in addition to milk production. The farm produce is used directly for preparing meals at the restaurant. According to Þórhalla Bergey Jónsdóttir, operations manager at Vogafjós, they strive to ensure that all ingredients are as fresh as possible. They, furthermore, try to source other supplies locally. Vegetables are, for example, bought from neighbors who practice horticulture. Some of the milk is used directly for cheese making on the farm, and cheese is a good example of a product that is produced in a very sustainable manner.
We raise the cows, make hay for them in the summer, and the cows eat the hay over the winter. They produce milk for us, which is processed into cheese here at home and ends up on our guests' plates. Almost nothing external is involved here. Sustainability is at the center of what we are doing here at Vogafjós. We are also very conscious about waste sorting and try to utilize all organic waste from the restaurant as well as possible. A large part of it is dumped into the manure pit in the cowshed and is thus used for fertilizer production for the farm's grasslands.
The Food Origin Attracts Attention
Þórhalla Bergey reports that the guests at Vogafjós commonly are very curious about how they do business. The guests ask a lot about the food that is offered and the production methods. "When we share this information, the guests often become surprised, because fresh products directly from the farm are rarely available. When people realize the uniqueness of our products, they are also often willing to pay a higher price. It's important to explain this to the guests." Þórhalla Bergey also adds that all employees, who serve in the dining room, are encouraged to share information with guests about the general operations on the farm and the origin of the food that is offered.
Together We are Stronger
Icelandic food traditions are at the center of the menu design at Vogafjós. "We try to emphasize Icelandic dishes and honor local traditions, for example, home-baked rye bread with butter and smoked trout, which is a very traditional dish in our community." Þórhalla Bergey also mentions that Vogafjós cooperates closely with neighbors, who are experts in preparing smoked trout. This allows them to offer this classic dish.
There is also a lot of cooperation between tourism companies in our community, and we try to be strongly involved there. We try to communicate and share information with others and aim to direct tourists from one company to another and to promote what others have to offer so that guests stay in the area as long as possible.