While the Stockholm archipelago is a popular summer destination for tourists and Stockholmers alike, some families choose to become permanent island dwellers. Lill and Per Schierman and their four children live on Hjälmö, where they run the Västergården farm.
Hjälmö, with a population of 19, is located in the central Stockholm archipelago, a two-hour ferry ride north-east of the Swedish capital. There are approximately 180 permanent residents in the area, which includes the nearby islands of Gällnö, Trångholmen, Lådna and Svartsö. Hjälmö is home to Västergården, a farm that dates back to the 1500s.
Six of the nineteen people who live permanently on Hjälmö island are Schiermans. Photo: Alexander Mitelman
A family affair
The Schiermans are the youngest generation in a long line of farmers. Lill's great-grandparents leased Västergården from a sea captain between 1938 and 1952, and Per's grandparents were summer residents on the farm for a period during the 1940s. “We both have our roots here,” he says.
Lill's parents, Ewa och Raymond Ringquist, moved to Hjälmö in 1972, and Lill grew up on the island. Although she herself is educated in agricultural science, she says she learned a great deal from her father, who is now retired but still helps out on the farm. “You need to learn a lot of practical aspects of running a farm in the archipelago from the previous generation,” Lill says.
The Schiermans believe that the farming conditions on the island are unique. “You always have to get around by water when you live out in the archipelago,” Per says, “but when you run a farm, it's even more labor-intensive and time-consuming, because you have to transport everything by boat. For instance, when you order fencing, it arrives with the Waxholm ferry on the dock, then it’s transported to the farm, and then it has to be loaded into our boat to go out to one of the islands where our animals are grazing.”
The right to roam
The Schiermans lease Västergården from the Stockholm Archipelago Foundation (Skärgårdsstiftelsen), which owns farms on several islands with the goal of maintaining open plots of land and keeping traditional farming alive.
“Skärgårdsstiftelsen began with agriculture because they wanted to preserve the natural environment and keep the land open,” Lill says.
In the last 50 years or so, more and more Stockholmers have purchased vacation homes on the islands, and land has become increasingly scarce. “The foundation wants the archipelago to be accessible to everyone and not just those who have a house out here,” Lill says. “Anyone can come out here.”
The idea of making the archipelago available to all is in line with allemansrätten — the right of public access — a Swedish law allowing people to roam freely on both public and private land.
“Allemansrätten is about respect,” Lill says. “It's give-and-take. You can't pitch a tent in someone's front yard, unless the landowner agrees, but everyone has the right to come out and enjoy nature.”
Boats are just as important as tractors for an archipelago farmer, with everything transported by water. Photo: Alexander Mitelman
Archipelago economics
Other islands, such as Grinda and Möja, may be much more popular tourist destinations than Hjälmö, but Per and Lill have also hosted visitors at Västergården. “Some groups come here, such as pensioners or church groups, especially in the spring,” Per says.
In addition to running Västergården, Per and Lill both work part-time for Skärgårdsstiftelsen as conservationists on the Hjälmö-Lådna nature reserve. They have also come up with other ways to make money, such as selling lamb and eggs to visitors and operating a boat taxi.
They have considered taking visitors on excursions to nearby islands where their sheep are grazing. “We have to take the boat out to check on the animals anyway,” Per says. “So we've thought about putting up posters in hostels on nearby islands like Svartsö, so that people can join us. We'll bring coffee and a picnic basket and they can come and wander around and pet the lambs.”
The Shiermans have also held theme days, where visitors can watch sheep being sheared, eat grilled sausage and ride the Shetland pony Black Beauty and the Icelandic horse Brimir. In addition, they have hosted a Christmas market, but Per says the majority of visitors were from neighboring islands. “If we want to make money, we have to bring in people from town,” he says.
A life of freedom
But whether Per and Lill are entertaining guests or island hopping with their sheep, life at Västergården changes slowly with the seasons. “You have more freedom and more control over your life out here,” Per says. “Everyone does a little bit of everything, and there is nothing strange about that.”
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Charlotte West
Charlotte West is an American writer and editor living in Stockholm. She'll be spending the summer island hopping in the Stockholm archipelago.
The author alone is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article.
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