As I reflect on my trip to Iceland for two weeks, I am filled with so much joy and excitement. It was a huge blessing to be a part of such an amazing trip and the opportunity to experience a different culture was more than I ever imagined. When I was originally presented with the opportunity, I had never really thought about going to Iceland but after researching and entertaining the idea of going on this trip, I realized that this would be a great opportunity. In researching the various parts of Iceland, I knew that this would be such a great experience, but after the trip was over, I realized it was much more than I could have ever imagined.
One thing about I found very interesting while in Iceland was the greenhouses. We were able to visit one of the greenhouses while in Iceland, Fri?heimar farm which was very interesting. I was really impressed with the system they use to grow their tomatoes. Although they are not able to grow vegetables outside on their land, geothermal energy and the use of artificial lighting provide them with an environment through the use of greenhouses to grow vegetables. At Fri?heimar they grow their tomatoes as naturally as possible, they do not use any pesticides and they import approximately 600 bees from the Netherlands for pollination. The use of greenhouses allows them to grow their vegetables year-round despite the low temperatures and at times total darkness. I found it very impressive that they are able to utilize the water to heat and maintain the temperature in the greenhouse for the tomatoes and provide an environment for the bees to pollinate. Inside the greenhouse, they also have a small restaurant with limited items. They have a buffet set up with homemade tomato soup, sour cream, home-baked bread, cucumber salsa, butter, and fresh herbs and then there are a few items that may be ordered from the menu.
