Iceland review - 2013, Qupperneq 42

40 ICELAND REVIEW
fARmING
high school, then he moved on to study
agronomy and she enrolled at the Icelandic
Horticultural College.
MakiNg iT PErSoNal
The biggest advantage of Icelandic hor-
ticulture farming is closeness to markets.
“The tomatoes are harvested in the morn-
ing, picked up in the early afternoon and
sometimes become available in stores the
same day,” says Knútur. “It also enables us
to let the tomatoes ripen longer than in
many places abroad,” adds Helena, “making
them redder and sweeter when they reach
consumers.”
They produce four types of tomatoes
and, to a lesser extent, cucumbers. Icelandic
tomatoes hold a 70 percent share on the
domestic market and Friðheimar provides
18 percent of the total supply, 370 tons in
2012. Knútur and Helena are also about to
launch a new product, a drink made from
the juice of second and third-class tomatoes
designed to give consumers an energy boost.
Consumers seem to prefer Icelandic veg-
etables over imported ones as almost every-
thing put on the market disappears from
shelves. The vegetables are usually distin-
guished with the colors of the Icelandic flag,
a red, white and blue strip, and sometimes
also with the name of the farm. Helena and
Knútur have taken the marketing campaign
one step further, putting their picture and
personal greeting on most packages of
tomatoes.
“It’s a bold thing to do,” states managing
director of the Horticulture Association of
Iceland Bjarni Jónsson. “If there’s something
consumers dislike, they will avoid products
from that particular farm. On the other
hand, it keeps farmers on their toes and
Helena Hermundardóttir and
Knútur Rafn Ármann started
growing tomatoes at Friðheimar
in 1995 and now run one of the
largest tomato farms
in the country.
Warm and friendly restaurant
Welcome to our warm, friendly restaurant, just a few steps away from the famous waterfall Gullfoss.
Enjoy the beautiful mountains and glaciers of Iceland, along with a taste of the country – our famous Icelandic meat soup, “kjötsúpa”.
We also offer sandwiches, homemade cakes, excellent coffee, drinks and fresh salad.
Tax Free souvenir shop
Gullfoss Café has a souvenir shop
with a wide selection of woollen
products and other clothing, jewelry
and Icelandic crafts. Guests from
abroad can shop tax free, saving up
to 15% from the original price.

Gullfoss kaffi, Gullfossi, 801 Bláskógabyggð • Tel. 00354 486 6500 • Email: gullfoss@gullfoss.is • www.gullfoss.is
Seating for up to 350 people
Gullfoss Café has seating for up to 350, where guests can enjoy food and drink in comfortable surroundings.
The ideal group stop for lunch or dinner when sightseeing by Iceland’s most waterfall.