Make a stop here at Augustendals 4H to get a feeling of a Swedish farm and forget you are in the middle of the city.
4H is a non-profit children and youth organisation that exists worldwide and has been in Sweden since the 20th century. The target group for membership activities is 6-25 years old, and 4H operates according to the motto "Learn by Doing." The 4Hs: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health, are at the core of all 4H's activities.
Since the early 1970s, Sweden's 4H has had the 4H-farm as a unique form of activity, and the first 4H-farm was started in Vallentuna and was then called "Stall Maja." Today, it is called Vallentuna 4H-Farm. 4H-farms in Sweden receive approximately 1.5 million visitors each year.
4H-farms are usually located in urban areas and are operated by a county association within 4H or a 4H club. According to 4H's guidelines, a 4H-farm should offer active activities and must not resemble a zoo. The 4H-farm should emulate a Swedish farm with self-sufficiency, Swedish livestock breeds, and the plants grown should be species found on Swedish farms.
Each 4H farm decides for itself which animals should be present on the 4H-farm based on the available conditions. However, there are requirements that there should be at least four different animal species, and they should preferably be of Swedish livestock breeds. Common animals include rabbits, chickens, sheep, horses, goats, and cats.
Augustendals 4H-farm has goats, sheep, horses, cats, rabbits, and chickens. The animals can be seen in the paddocks every day between approximately 08:00-17:00.
Augustendals is not only about animals and children. There is also an open-air theatre called Augustendalsteatern. The theatre is a part of Teater SAT in Solna and was founded by Thomas Ringkvist in 2001. The first play performed was Gideon Wahlberg's "Grabbarna I 57:an" (The Boys on Bus 57). The theatre presents approximately 15 performances each summer.
