Sæterdrift

Sæterdrift is a Norwegian agricultural practice of seasonal transhumance in which livestock—primarily cattle, sheep, and goats—are moved from winter holdings in the valley to mountain pastures called sæter during the summer. At the sæter, farm families maintain simple dwellings and outbuildings and tend the herd, harvest forage, and process milk into dairy products such as seterost, a summer cheese, and other cheeses or butter. The activity combines grazing management with dairy production and often forms the social and economic basis for a scattered seter network across mountain districts.

Historically it dates from medieval and early modern Norway as a way to exploit rich mountain meadows and spread workload across seasons. Sæter sites could be relatively remote and were typically used seasonally. In the 20th century, modernization, farm consolidation, and urban migration reduced the scale of sæterdrift, and many setrer were abandoned. In recent decades, some regions preserve the practice as cultural heritage or offer farm tourism and education, with visitors able to see cheese-making, traditional milking, and mountain pasture life.

The sæter tradition remains a symbol of rural heritage in Norway, reflecting historical farming strategies, family labor, and regional identity.