Field report from the Husky Farm in Swedish Lapland

How to get there

My journey began in Frankfurt at the beginning of January. After a night at Stockholm airport, I arrived around 11am the next morning. The arriving guests and I were welcomed by Konstantin and Johannes in the reception hall. The approximately 1,5-hour drive that followed was mostly on snow-covered roads and you could already see the sun going down.

When we arrived at the farm, I was immediately greeted by another volunteer and before unpacking I was shown around the farm and introduced to everyone else. From the start I felt like I was part of the group.

Orientation program

The program varied in length. Depending on which service you were registered for, it took between two days and two weeks. For the Inside service, the induction phase was two days, during which I received all the important information about what my tasks were for that day. The intro for the dogs only lasted two days, during which I was shown and explained everything, but we took care of the dogs as a team for two weeks until I finally took responsibility on my own. In these two weeks I got to know the dogs a lot better before I took care of them on my own.

Areas of responsibility

The working week was very varied. On the one hand there was the task area Dogs. The very first thing to do here was to turn on the stove so that the temperature in the kitchen and dining room was comfortable.

Then it was the dogs turn. The food was prepared in the dog kitchen and brought to the kennel with the help of a small cart. There all the dogs got the amount of food they were given and we waited until the last dog had eaten. This was the only way we could see which dog did not eat enough or even not at all.

After breakfast we took care of goats and reindeer before going back to the dogs. We either prepared the sleds for a tour or let the dogs out in the kennel in small groups. In the afternoon came the Puppy Walks and collecting branches and twigs for goats and reindeer. In addition, the tours returned in the afternoon and the dogs were taken care of. In the evening there was another feeding before the day was over with the preparation for the next day.

Inside was one of the most exhausting duties. Breakfast was prepared for everyone in the morning. Every morning there was a different special, which sometimes had to be prepared the evening before. Ideally, however, before breakfast was served, all important surfaces should have been vacuumed and cleaned. Lots of dogs also means lots of hair that you don't want in your food. After that, the preparation for dinner has already started. Most of the time, the guests were gone by lunchtime, which is why you didn't have to prepare anything for that. Depending on what day it was, there was either a starter or dessert.

You can plan most of the day yourself. The main thing was that the guest house was cleaned before dinner, the laundry hung up and a new washing machine turned on and everything was prepared for dinner. After the meal we had to wash up. If the dishes, pans, and kitchen were clean, the day was over at that point.

Help was the third and last service you could have next to Off. There was no precise plan as to what had to be done that day, but instead we always looked where help was needed. We either chopped wood, heated the sauna or we took the puppies for a walk – depending on what was asked. While the other services started before breakfast, Help only started after breakfast. In the evening they usually helped with the food and then with the washing up. So the inside person was not alone in the kitchen until late.

Home & Living

Two to four people slept in one room. At the time I was there, the boys had a two-bed room in the guest house and the girls had a four-bed room in the homestay. The room has two bunk beds and two armchairs for relaxing. But just because it was a four-bed room didn't always mean four girls were accommodated. Sometimes we only stayed there for two. There was space for clothes in the hallway in front of the room. There you could store everything you didn't need overnight.

Essen

The food was always very good. We regularly made bread and rolls as well as biscuits and cakes ourselves. Everyone had a turn and had to bake something and, above all, in a variety of ways. At dinner, all requests were catered for. Whether vegetarian or lactose-free - we have tried to make everything possible. There was alternately reindeer, elk, beef or fish. When we were cooking, we were always helped by everyone. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses in the kitchen and we complemented each other so well. At first reindeer was a bit unusual to eat, but it tasted very good as a stew. I can only recommend it.

leisure

On our days off we could decide what we wanted to do. We could grab a dog and go hiking, help somewhere or just sleep in.

If a sled tour was planned on these days and there was still a place, we were allowed to go along. However, if there were too many guests and there was no more space, we were allowed to ride on the snowmobile if they were guided. There were also days when people went shopping and we came to town with them. This was not possible alone, because the nearest town was about 30 minutes away by car.

It was important to just ask. Although not all of our wishes could be fulfilled, they tried to make most of it possible.

Special experiences

Apart from the snowmobile trips, the Arctic Circle trip and the snowshoe tours, the most memorable things were the sled tours, working with the dogs and the incredible nature.

The dogs brought you closer to the white landscape. Blizzard or sunshine, they tirelessly pulled us through the snow. Equally incredible were the nacreous clouds and northern lights. In general, this overall package was an incredible experience that I wouldn't want to miss.

Field report by Franziska, January/February 2022