Åmli Gårdsmeieri wins regional agriculture award

We had many strong candidates when we recently selected the winner of the 2025 Business Development Award in Agriculture for Agder county.

Selma D. and Arno Landman, the owners and operators of Åmli Gårdsmeieri, were selected from among the nominees as the winners and will receive NOK 50,000 in prize money.

‘We are delighted to have won the BU Award from Innovation Norway! This award is an important recognition of our work and motivates us to keep going,’ say the award winners.

'We want our farm to be a place where you can buy quality products directly from us, meet the animals, play and enjoy an ice cream. We want to continue developing our farm, the products we make and the experiences we offer here. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far!'

The winners receive praise from our Regional Director for Agder, Sveinung Hovstad:

'The winners have distinguished themselves by building a diverse agricultural business. In addition to meat and milk production, the farm processes products including cheese and other dairy products, and sells a significant volume of milk to the Åmli-based company Kakemesteren. The award winners stand out for their drive, expertise and ability to continually develop their business model,' he says.

Sustainability at the heart

In a short space of time, the dairy has built a robust, forward-looking business based on local resources and high standards of animal welfare. The farm has 50 dairy cows and 130 animals in total, all cared for from birth to the end of their lives. Sustainability is at the heart of its operations, with artificial insemination, modern milking technology and local production of food with minimal food miles. The products are sold in a self-service farm shop and supplied to local businesses such as Kakemesteren in Åmli, helping to strengthen both the local economy and food culture.

Innovation is at the heart of the entire business. Åmli Gårdsmeieri offers a wide range of dairy products – from whole milk and yoghurt to butter and sour cream – and continues to expand its selection with products such as eggs and meat from its own animals. It has also established motorhome parking and cabin rentals by the River Nidelva, combining farming with tourism and giving visitors an authentic experience of Norwegian farm life.

Social sustainability is reflected in local employment, the family's involvement in the business and active participation in the local community. The dairy is a living example of how passion and strong local roots can create positive ripple effects far beyond the farm.

The Business Development Award in Agriculture

Each year, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, we present the Business Development Award in Agriculture. The award recognises those who have built a successful business or industry based on rural and agricultural resources. Each year, a winner in every county receives NOK 50,000. The county winners then compete for the national award of NOK 250,000.