In 1884, he moved to Vikersund where he was the manager and later owner of a store. There he continued his political involvement and was a member of Modum municipal council from 1883 to 1892. In 1891, he bought Åmot farm, the family farm of his mother's family. Among the issues he focused on was care for the elderly and he took initiative to remove the system where the elderly were placed among private persons for a fee and improved the local nursing home.