The scene: Friðheimar, Iceland. August. You’ve grown weary of chasing waterfalls. You’re looking for something a little different. A little more…yellow.
When we learned that there was a tomato greenhouse in Iceland that produces nearly 1 ton of tomatoes per day AND throws a mean tomato-themed lunch buffet AND puts on the occasional horse show, we had to check it out. Friðheimar did not disappoint! The farm is situated about an hour and a half east of Reykjavík, so if you visit you’ll either need to rent a car or join a pre-arranged tour.
The photos below don’t do this place justice. I’ve never seen such high-tech greenhouses! The yellow lighting gave the place a surreal vibe, and the air was scented with unripe tomato. Friendly bees and lovely flowers everywhere…
VERDICT: 10/10 Come for the tomatoes. Stay for the sweet jaundiced glow you’ll get in all your selfies. And don’t forget to pick up a jar of cinnamon lime green tomato jam so you can relive the magic back home.
The sign welcoming us to Friðheimar. Alas, the timing didn’t work out for us to catch a horse show.
Exterior of one of the greenhouses. Somehow they keep those sunflowers alive outdoors, despite the conspicuous lack of natural sunlight.
It takes a lot of artificial light to grow 20% of Iceland’s tomato crop!
Gentleman Farmer N checking out the crops. We grow tomatoes in our community garden plot, but our approach is considerably less high-tech.
So much tech! The lights and irrigation systems are automated and can be controlled remotely via smartphone by the owners.
A picking chair on rails!
A view of the dining room with the crops in the background
Bees! Imported bees from Holland! Each bee can pollinate up to 2000 flowers per day. #busybees
Pretty!
Each table is equipped with the usual salt, pepper, flatware, and menus, plus your own personal basil plant with cute little herb shears to cut fresh basil into your tomato soup!
Perhaps our favorite dish of the lunch was the potted cheesecake topped with a jam made of green tomatoes, cinnamon, and lime.
