The green vibrancy of Iceland’s wind and rain-swept west coast belies the extent of soil erosion from deforestation and extensive sheep farming many generations ago. This former sheep farm, abandoned in 1968, became a cultural meeting place and events centre for artists. The vegetable and herb garden was established within the foundations of the old sheep house, which was blown away in a winter storm. There is a bittersweet irony in the cultivation of organic rhubarb now growing so lushly in the nutrient-rich deposits left by the sheep. Rhubarb is used a lot in the household - for jam, pies and pickles, and to make a pink wine which the host family enjoys in the winter.

Highly Commended - The Bountiful Earth