Iceland review - 2017, Síða 45

E N V I R O N M E N T
positive. “At most farms where I counted
fetuses, I was asked to sign copies,” she
says and smiles. “I’ve received countless
messages and letters, where people thank
me for opening up. Friend requests on
Facebook have skyrocketed. There are
three aspects about the book which
moved people: environmental protec-
tion, the description of the farmer’s daily
life and gender equality.” As a young
woman eager to start farming, Heiða
never understood why people wanted her
to find a husband first.
FARM OVER FASHION
Having grown up at Ljótarstaðir with
her four sisters, being a farmer was
something Heiða had always set out to
become. However, when she was in her
late teens, a different career path pre-
sented itself. “I have this weird look,”
she remarks, referring to her tall, slim
physique. “Suddenly, I realized that it
was desirable.” Heiða, who in her youth
had a complex about her appearance,
became a sought-after model, traveling
to New York for photo shoots. While the
attention helped improve her self-image,
she decided not to pursue a career as a
model. “It was fun to try it out, but it was
not for me.” She pauses for a moment,
then laughs. “Although, now I’ve been
getting modeling offers again!” Heiða
was swamped with carrying out sheep
ultrasounds when a designer of sheepskin
coats contacted her, asking her to model.
Impatient to get on with her work,
Heiða agreed without giving the propos-
al much thought. “Sleep deprived, with
bags under my eyes and the hair roots
showing down to here [she points to her
ears], the designer called me back and
asked me to confirm. And I just thought:
‘Seriously, you want me to model for
you?’!” Yet, she agreed.
Inside the barn, Heiða introduces me
to her flock. The sheep are neatly shorn,
apart from a few which were spared a
haircut, as they are at risk of getting
cold during the upcoming lambing sea-
son. “These are the gemsar,” she says of
young ewes expecting their first lambs.
They’ve been separated into different
folds, depending on how many fetuses
they’re carrying. By using ultrasound,
farmers can plan the lambing season
better, when ewes have to be monitored
around the clock. However, losing some
sheep that are giving birth, or newborn
lambs, is inevitable, which is always hard
for a farmer. I ask Heiða whether she
likes her job. “Oh, yes.” But has she ever
considered giving it up? She laughs.
“Absolutely,” she admits.
Heiða pets her German Shepherd,
Fífill, and looks out across her land. I
take in the unobstructed view of hay-
fields, hills and mountains, as far as the
eye can see. There’s a nip in the air, but
it seems that spring has arrived: the snow
is melting, uncovering withered grass.
Such close contact with nature is the big-
gest upside to farming, Heiða says. She’s
happy to carry on living and farming at
Ljótarstaðir, although there are other
things, too, she could imagine doing:
working in agriculture in the UK or New
Zealand; becoming a small-boat fisher-
woman in an Icelandic fishing village; or
simply having a comfortable 9-5 job at
a library, for example. “If someone were
ready to take over, I’d be prepared to pass
the baton,” she concludes with a smile. u
ICELAND REVIEW 43
Heiða’s favorite place at home. Some of Heiða’s roughly 500 sheep.