9050

HÓFATAK (Hoof-Steps) at GUNNARSSTAÐIR (Gunnar´s Place), Þistilfjörður (Thistle Fjord district)

Current occupants: Fjóla Runólfsdóttir and Jóhannes Sigfússon

The farmers at HÓFATAK participate in the following national initiative:

• Quality managed sheep farming (Gæðastýrð sauðfjárræktun)

The farm GUNNARSSTAÐIR (Gunnar´s Place), situated on the west side of the head of the fjord LÓNAFJÖRÐUR (Lagoon Fjord), is the easternmost farm owning land adjoining the sea. A collection of buildings are situated approximately 1 km east of the district highway road 85, south of river GARÐÁ (Wall River – may also translate to Garden River), including four residence houses and a number of sheepsheds and other outhouses. The estuary of HAFRALÓNÁRÓS (Goat-Buck Lagoon River Estuary) and the seashore are only a short distance away from the farm. Sheep sheds and other outhouses on the farm are also situated north of river GARÐÁ (Wall River – may also translate to Garden River), together with extensive hayfields created from dewatered marshes that lie adjacent to the shoreline.

Flat marshes south of the farm have been dewatered and partly cultivated into hayfields. Árni Davísson had a dam constructed for irrigation of water from river GARÐÁ over this extensive area of land in the early 19^th century. The resulting meadows proved lush and were utilized as hayfields until around 1950. North of the marsh area is a dry, sandy stripe of land that is step by step widening with growing vegetation. A level sandy area is found north from here, stretching to the beach. Nesting grounds for the Arctic tern were previously of considerable size in this area.

South and east of the marshes is an extensive area of well grown heathlands in the socalled ÖNUNDARDALUR (Onundur´s Valley). A thin stripe of marshes divides this area into EFRIMÓAR (Upper Heathlands) and NEÐRIMÓAR (Lower Heathlands). Previously, a socalled “painful grazing” of sheeps was practised in this area, meaning that grazing was only practised in the area when no other grazing fields were available. The area has now been turned into extensive hayfields.