Category: Sardinia

Tupei farm and guesthouse
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We are on the island of Sant’Antioco connected to Sardinia by means of a bridge, near the town of Calasetta, situated along a slope in the north-west of the island and partially encircled by white beaches and the sea. The ancient name of Calasetta, Cala di Seta, meaning Bay of Silk derives its name from production of sea silk, a marine type of silk which is extracted from a bivalve mollusc called Pinna nobilis.

The Tupei farm and guesthouse is located in the hillside above Calasetta, about 2 km from the town and about 1200 m from the sea. It was bought by Michele and Silvana Puxeddu in the 1990s, both of who weren’t working as farmers in advance. He was setting up dropped ceilings and wall decors, while she was working with graphics for advertising. Having decided to change their lifestyles completely, they left their jobs and selected a life following age-old traditions and offering hospitality to their guests.

Having parked at the entrance of the Tupei property, we first passed a group of horses looking at us expectantly before meeting Silvana, Michele and their dog Aprile. In addition to horses, they also raise goats, almost all them very curious when we visited them. They also had a few chickens which were free to go wherever they wanted. Besides, they are cultivating olives, vines, vegetables and fruits organically, all of which are served in the guesthouse.

Being very conscious and attentive, Silvana and Michele had decided before our arrival to join a project intending to let farmers themselves control their own seeds. Instead, the international development tends towards multinational companies selling the same types of seeds to farmers, minimising diversity, and requiring pesticides made by other multinational companies.

Luckily, at the same time as our short visit to the island of Sant’Antioco, a group of courageous women from a local agency called Laore, which occupies itself with rural development and an organisation called Domusamigas arrived shortly after us, bringing many types of seeds in their car in order to start the project. On our walk to a nearby field, they explained that Michele and Silvana had decided to take part in a genetic and evolutionary improvement of seeds developed and selected by the renowned professor Salvatore Ceccarelli with the objective to turn control of seeds to farmers, safeguarding local seeds and increasing biodiversity.

Having arrived at the field, which was already prepared by Michele, he set out to divide it into 40 equally sized rectangles being helped by the women from Laore and Domusamigas together with my guide. Using a masonry chisel and a mallet, he hammered the chisel into the ground near one corner of the field, then using a tape measure, he located the second corner of the plots. Next, he started making a line perpendicular to the first line. In order to verify that the lines were perpendicular, he and one of his helpers used the Pythagorean theorem. Actually, it was a pleasure to see this theorem applied to a real problem for the first time in my life. Having ascertained the angles and the dimensions, the women poured chalk along each line. Unfortunately, the planting of the seeds would take place another day, meaning that we couldn’t be present. All in all, 17 types of seeds should be planted, two of them local and two hybrids, some of them new, some of them old. All in all, three farms in Sardinia participate in this project and it will be done for several years.

The objectives of the project in which Silvana and Michele participate are the following:
- rediscover the evolutionary capability of local seeds.
- hand back production and selection of seeds to farmers.
- learn new techniques in order to increase biodiversity without using artificial fertilisers.
- promote and facilitate collaboration between research institutes and farmers.
- identify which seeds are most adapted to this land and environment.
- reproduce and improve ancient seed varieties leading to increased biodiversity, autonomy and better health for farmers due to not using pesticides.
- let the plants create new varieties by cross-breeding like what has happened since agriculture began.
Professor Ceccarelli is known for his programmes of genetic improvement in which farmers are selecting and planting seeds together with scientists. The work of professor Ceccarelli together with other scientists, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), has led to greater biodiversity and larger yields of crops in dry areas

According to him we have to learn that “the seed is the foundation of life, food, and agriculture. However, farmers, who have been safeguarding and improving seeds since agriculture began, have been excluded from the production of seeds in the space of a few years. This exclusion has harmed everyone: farmers, agricultural research, our diets and the earth’s biodiversity. We have to make farmers cultivate various types of seeds for biodiversity, for themselves, for a secure food supply, and for the future”.

We are grateful to Silvana and Michele Puxeddu for their hospitality and generosity and for letting us be present at such an important moment in their lives.
03/11/2014
Il Paradiso farm and guesthouse

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Going from Carbonia towards Cagliari, we turned slightly to the right a few kilometres from Carbonia, then having passed under the same road below a bridge, we arrived at Il Paradiso after a short trip on gravel roads.

Upon our arrival, we came to a a wide and slightly undulating garden with trees like holm oak, cork oak and strawberry tree together with shrubs like Phillyrea and broom alternating with small stands of maple trees while roses, pomegranates and quince trees were scattered around the property. There were also apartments for their guests, a large dining room next to a big kitchen and houses for the residents.

This farm was founded in 1955 when Vito Minaudo bought a piece of land at Barega near the town of Carbonia with the intention of growing vineyards and making wine. Now, it is managed by Vito’s son, Tommaso Minaudo who together with his wife and their daughter Francesca have continued and extended the work started by Vito.

We were met by Tommaso Minaudo who guided us around his family’s property. Ascending a small hill, we walked along a path with groves of mastic on both sides where we could sense rather intense aromas coming from the abundant vegetation. It felt good being in a serene place filled with colours and aromas reminding us about paradise and is probably the reason why this farm is called il Paradiso or the Paradise.

The members of the Minaudo family obviously have a calling for agriculture and feel a strong attachment to their land. They are cultivating olive trees, vines, many types of vegetables and fruits besides raising chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea-fowls, rabbits, hares together with a few horses and donkeys and a flock of Tibetan goats.

The Minaudo family also receive local children and youths intending to make them interested in or at least acquainted with agriculture and animal husbandry. Thus, il Paradiso is also an educational farm collaborating with local schools and letting the pupils cultivate their own vegetables. Tommaso proudly showed us the results of the children’s work from spring to autumn. They had planted seeds of tomatoes, courgettes/zucchinis and eggplants/aubergines and tended the vegetables such that they were ready to be harvested.

Crop rotation is practised at il Paradiso in order to replenish the soil with nutrients, improving soil strucure and soil fertility.

Excellent and delicious products, produced at this and nearby farms, are turned into delicious dishes for their guests and served in the grand dining room. Besides, their hospitality makes their guests feel welcome and they are returning repeatedly. A small swimming pool together with a small chute also makes this place attractive for families with children.

01/11/2014
Sant’Agostino farm

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On the lowlands of Barega near the town of Carbonia, we meet Antonio Cadeddu, drawing on his ancestors, his calling, the local environment and local traditions, has planted a wide variety of vegetables in greenhouses and in open air. He’s also raising a flock of sheep.

Antonio has a strong attachment to his land, but he’s also very attached to his animals, and he feels like more a shepherd than a farmer.

Having entered the greenhouse where Antonio has been cultivating beans, he explains that all the bean plants have failed and all his work has been in vain. All the plants have to be uprooted, the soil has to be prepared again, the artificial irrigation must be rearranged and new plants have to be replanted one by one. Strong heat caused a very quick growth of the stems, leading to that it wasn’t possible to prune them in time. This made them bend over towards the soil, making them wither.

Anyway, he doesn’t seem to be the least disturbed by this, making us understand that he has already taken it into account and that he just has to accept it, unforeseen events happen, you just have to be decisive and react fast.

He also cultivates three different types of tomatoes: cherry tomatoes, red bunch tomatoes, and round salad tomatoes. Growing tomatoes gives him lots of satisfaction even though they need constant attention because they are subject to various diseases and parasites.

Antonio also explains with confidence the characteristics of the plants he is cultivating: beans, tomatoes, squash/courgette/zucchini, pumpkins, etc. Pumpkins can be grown outside, they are resistant against diseases and heat and able to absorb nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from the soil. He explains the lives of the plants and their characteristics thoroughly, including how to counteract that the plants get ill and how to cure them of specific diseases. Continuous attention to parasites and symptoms of diseases are necessary for the whole life of the plants. Thus, only plant varieties, which are adapted to the environment, should be cultivated. Systematic controls of the plants have to be done and, regarding tomato plants, the leaves in particular. In case of symptoms of disease, immediate precautions should be taken, else the disease may spread to adjacent plants, then to all of them.

He also describes the main symptoms of diseases, but emphasises that continuous attention and prompt action in case of diseases is the the only way to halt them.

One of the most common parasites is the whitefly. They introduce toxic saliva inside the leaves, leading to that they can also bring viruses and bacteria. Besides, they secrete honeydew, which encourages mold growth.

The plants can also be attacked by fungi, but they can be identified early upon close inspection.

It seems like Antonio is as concerned about the welfare of the plants as he is about his animals. Obviously, he’s very passionate about both of them.

Additionally, he has built a huge cabin nearby, in the same way as shepherds were doing in the past, consisting of wooden poles embedded in the ground with branches linking the poles.

Inside the cabin there is a large collection of tools, objects, and utensils used in the past in order to cultivate and harvest agricultural products as well as to do various practical activities typical for this region.

A pleasant smell of coffee fills this unpretentious ethnographic museum where Antonio’s wife, Rita, is preparing coffee for us and their friends. If we had yielded to curiosity, observing tool by tool, being lectured by Antonio on the use of each one, in addition to staying in this hospitable atmosphere, we could have stayed for hours. Instead, we left, but not before having been greeted by two Tibetan goats, one of them a male which seemed to want to tip me over. Being quite small, it was easy to resist.

01/11/2014
Su Forru ‘e su Pani bakery and confectionery

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Islands are known to house plants and animals, which don’t grow or live anywhere else. That is, they have a large biological diversity. A corollary to biological diversity on islands is cultural diversity on islands and the bakery “Su Forru ‘e su Pani” of Efisio Carta located in the town of Teulada in the south of Sardinia seems to confirm it.

We enter the “Su Forru ‘e su Pani” bakery about 9 in the evening where the Carta family, consisting of Efisio, his wife Assunta, their daughter Debora and her young daughter Vanessa together with a baker called Angelo, are making a bread called “su coccoi pintau”, turning dough into shapes like hedgehogs, flowers, crowns, etc.

Working from about 8 in the evening till about 6 in the morning, dozens of breads, bread rolls, and ritual breads, like coccoi, originally made for the most important religious feast days are made 6 nights a week. They also make a ritual bread called “the bread of the dead”, a fragrant, soft bread in memory of the dead to be shared with friends on All Souls’ Day, 2 November.

Coccoi is a typical Sardinian bread made for anniversaries, ceremonies, weddings, baptisms, and Easter. Making this type of bread require, after having quickly turned the dough into a complex shape by hand and a knife, a rapid sequence of cuts with a pair of scissors at predetermined points and with regular positions. Although these cuts are made for decoration, they also contribute to uniform baking, graduated surface colours with more or less intense nuances, and making the bread crunchy.

Little Vanessa, who is only 7 years old, is turning dough into complex shapes, deftly using her small hands. Her grandfather, Efisio, also started working in a bakery when he was a child, imitating the movements of his mother and grandmother. Originally, only women were baking in Sardinia, but now it seems like more men than women are working as bakers.

They also make a round and soft bread called “Sa Tunda”, which is typical for the town of Teulada. It’s a sourdough bread made from semolina shaped like a star with 7 points, one for every day of the week in order to mark the time between each time a bread was made. Another explanation is that it was baked by women whose husbands should spend a week in the mountains and they could eat one point every day.

At midnight, when only Efisio and Angelo are still working more or less continuously, manipulating, stretching, rolling, cutting, decorating, and flattening dough, marking their products with a stamp and putting them on a wooden board, covering them with cloths and letting them leaven in peace, putting the finished shapes in an oven by means of a long-handed shovel, taking them out when they are baked, putting the necessary ingredients in the kneader in order to produce more dough, etc. Briefly, they are working hard.

While Angelo is working quietly, Efisio is working dexterously and quickly, while talking at the same time. He has been working as a baker for about 40 years and he started making breads when he was 12. While he is busily shaping the dough, he is talking about how he is canoeing, fishing squid, and making stone statues of local rocks in his spare time. Thus, he’s shaping dough at work and stone off work like a sculptor. He also looks younger than his age and he’s obviously full of energy, mental and physical.

We leave some time after midnight and come back next morning, enter the shop next to their bakery, where Debora, the young daughter of Efisio and Assunta is selling the last “breads of the dead”, while the rest has already been sold.

Only the the fragrance of the breads is remaining together with a feeling of a pleasant expectation because tomorrow the shop will be full of other fragrant delicacies.

31/10/2014
S’Arxola farm and guesthouse

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Having passed through the town of Teulada and going eastwards, we turn left at a crossroads a couple of kilometres outside the town and follow a gravel road for about a kilometre in a lovely and apparently fertile landscape. Then, we arrive at S’Arxola, an educational farm and guesthouse where we meet Fulvio outside the small house he has built for his family on the top of a small hill.

Just a short distance from their house, another house in neutral colours is located between an olive grove and climbing Mediterranean scrub. Inside the house, there are small, but airy apartments for lucky guests who choose to spend their vacations in this tranquil place located a short distance from the sea and surrounded by Mediterranean fragrances and colours.

The property is located in a hilly terrain surrounded by forests, olive groves and small bushes, while it also has grassy fields on which numerous ducks and hens are free to roam.

By common agreement, Fulvio and his wife Emma decided to change their life and stay in contact with nature. It started when his wife from Bologna was doing her PhD on forest sciences in Florence, while he, who is born and raised in Sardinia, was studying architecture in the same city, gradually started thinking about living in the countryside. They dreamed about creating an organic farm with a guesthouse and make a living with minimum impact on nature based on harvesting edibles from the surrounding vegetation. Reflecting on it and doing thorough searches, about 10 years ago they came to this place, which was in keeping with their wishes, and they decided to buy it. It is called S’Arxola ’e Sirboni, meaning “place frequented by wild boar” in Sardinian. Indeed, as Fulvio says: “the hill on which the farm is located and the surrounding hills were covered with dense oak forests (cork oak and holm oak whose berries are eaten by wild boar), which were destroyed during the last century and are being restored by himself and his wife.

The farm is equipped with solar cells in order to be self-sufficient with electrical energy. Since the solar cells produce more energy than is required on sunny days, the excess energy is stored in batteries. This farm is off grid such that Fulvio, his wife, their two daughters and their guests have to adapt their consumption of electrical energy in accordance with daily and seasonal changes of the sun.

A major activity of Fulvio and his wife is to restore the native vegetation whether it has been degraded or even totally removed. The aim is to both harvest fruits and berries, but also to extract essential oils, all of which has to be done according to the biological and seasonal characteristics of each plant. A description of using essential oils for aromatherapy can be found here.

In order to reduce the residents’ impact on the local environment and live in harmony with nature as far as possible, a field of common reeds is used as an artificial wetland to clean greywater. A list of other plants that can be used for the same purpose is given here.

Fulvio explains that the area, which is now covered by reeds, was first excavated in order to create a pit to receive greywater. Then, it was made impermeable by covering the pit with a layer of clay before filling it with fine gravel which works as a foundation on which has been planted a dense field of common reeds. The reeds perform several beneficial functions, but the most important one is to create oxygen-rich micro-zones along its roots where aerobic bacteria are able to decompose organic matter. This seemingly simple process is actually quite complex and those who want to know more can look here and here. The purified water can be used for irrigation or released to natural watercourses.

During our walk around the farm, Fulvio shows us various myrtle shrubs, but he plans to plant many more of them in order to produce myrtle liqueur. He also shows us numerous mastic bushes and trees. He’s following the growth of these plants closely because he wants to extract vegetable oil from the berries.

This humble brush, present along the coast of all the Mediterranean, was spread by man at least since the era of the Romans because it was used as a medicine, to flavour various kinds of food, as chewing gum, etc. In the past, vegetable oil extracted from mastic berries was known as poor people’s oil because they didn’t possess olive groves. Nowadays, mastic resin is still used as a flavouring, while essential oils are used for cosmetics and medicines.

Having been shown around the farm, Fulvio invites us inside his family’s kitchen, offering us home-made coffee, which we willingly accept. While we are enjoying the coffee, he tells us that he is also keeping bees, extracting honey in autumn, but leaving some amount such that the bees can survive the winter. He’s also telling how the farm is being run in a sustainable way, but there is always room for improvements. He’s working full time at the farm, while his wife is managing forests. Time passes quickly, it’s hot outside, songbirds are singing, else everything is quiet and it’s difficult to leave.

30/10/2014
Rubiu olive oil mill

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The Rubiu oil mill was founded in the 1950s by the father of the present owner, Nicoletta Rubiu. Already from the foundation, this oil mill used the the best available machinery making it the centre of olive oil production in the region of Sulcis-Iglisiente. The lowlands on which this oil mill is located are surrounded by gently, rolling hills and is ideal for growing olive trees and vines. Various olive cultivars are used in the production of olive oil, with Bosana the most commonly used. Another cultivar called “tonda di Cagliari” or “nera di Gonnos” is also grown together with “Pizz’ e Carroga” which are put whole in brine.

Having entered the oil mill, we also enter an atmosphere filled with a slightly bitter fragrance of olives which have been crushed and where small groups of women and men are waiting patiently for their olives to be turned into olive oil, chatting amicably, but impossible to perceive anything because of the noisy machinery. It’s the same atmosphere and the same sensations like in the past although we don’t any longer find the imposing granite millstone, which has been conserved with the care deserved for a historic monument. The bull, which made the millstone turn around while the olives were crushed, is gone. Likewise, all the locals who came to watch the yellow olive oil flowing out of the mill. However, Mediterranean fragrances are still produced like in the past, while only the owners of the olives are watching contentedly all the phases the olives have to pass through in order to be turned into the golden liquid, which serves as an indispensable ingredient for any dish on their tables from toasted bread topped with olive oil and chopped tomatoes to various salads, from sauces to stews.

The olives from each owner are first placed in square boxes waiting to be placed in a flippable trolley. Having filled the trolley with olives, it is flipped such that all the olives fall into a container with a funnel at its base. When the time is right, the funnel is opened such that the olives fall down on a conveyor belt with parallel tracks which prevent the olives from falling down. Instead, the conveyor belt brings them upwards until they fall down into a machine, which removes foreign bodies like leaves and branches, which inevitably follow the olives from the harvest. Then, the olives are cleaned by means of running water in order to remove any remaining impurities before entering the olive-press where they are crushed, turning them into a mix of oily and fragrant mush together with hard fragments from the stones inside the olives. This mix is transferred to adjacent containers where rotating blades make it more uniform before it enters a centrifuge where solid and liquid parts are separated. The wooden residues from the stones, which are heavier than the liquid parts, are expelled. The liquid parts, consisting of water and oil are separated because they have different densities. After having filtered the oil, it is collected in a container, ready to be bottled and brought home by the owners. The wooden residues from the stones can be used in various ways like feed for pigs or poultry or compost for enriching soil. Alternatively, they may be separated and turned into pellets for heating.

29/10/2014
Fishermen’s cooperative of Porto Pino

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A short distance from the renowned, white dunes of Porto Pino, the lagoon of Porto Pino is located. A canal, which connects the lagoon and the sea, has been partially blocked by a barrier made by a cooperative of fishermen. Like the lagoon at Nora, young fish, which are born in the sea, seek safety and easy access to food in the lagoon. There, they grow up until their instincts make them return to the sea to spawn because the variable salinity and temperature of the lagoon will prevent the fertilised fish eggs from hatching. Before they can go back to the sea, they have to pass the canal where the fishermen have set up a barrier stretching across the whole width of the canal. Having a polygonal shape and being made of vertical bars which have been embedded in the sea bed, the barrier is easy to enter because it has an opening like a funnel, but difficult to exit. Besides, the mature fish try to cross the canal at high tide when there is a current from the sea to the lagoon. Then, the fish will only swim against the current and won’t return even though it would be possible to escape the barrier.

The movement of fish from the sea to the lagoon and vice versa has been known to man for millennia and their way of fishing is similar to that which has been practised since time immemorial.

Arriving at about 8 in the morning, we find Carlo and some of his colleagues inside the barrier, catching the fish by means of a hand-held net. One fisherman is standing still, holding one end of the net in the water, while another one is holding the net at the opposite end, walking slowly towards the first one, while gently contracting the space enclosed by the net. Finally, they meet and close the lower end of the net by means of a knot. Then, they carry it to an opening in the barrier where another fisherman is holding a bucket in which they empty the fish from the net. Finally, the fisherman on the outside brings the bucket with the fish back to the fishermen who are waiting for him on dry land.

Having lifted up the bucket, the fish is sorted. The most valuable fish, sea bass, is put in one bucket, while various species of sea bream, mullet, etc. are put in another one. Besides, fish which are too small are released into a large pond, connected to canal between the lagoon and the sea, but closed with a net such that they have to stay in the pond.

After the first selection, another selection is done in a large, quadratic and open box with perforated sides. The fish which were not sorted at the first selection are put in the box, water is poured over the fish, starting immediately to flow out of the holes in the side of the box. The fishermen sort the remaining fish quickly, putting them in styrofoam boxes and bringing them to a small shop where labels are put on each box. Locals are waiting for the fish to arrive at the shop and after having bought what they want, they return home with their “catch”.

Next morning, we are invited to join Raffaele and Samuele, father and son and both of them members of the cooperative, fishing in the lagoon near Porto Pino. Since we arrive early, Carlo willingly shows us how they fish in the lagoon. He holds some poles, which are sharpened in one end, and which are meant to be driven into the bed of the lagoon. The poles are connected by nets an he’s trying to explain how they are set up in order to trap fish. However, this completely new field for both of us, require more time to get acquainted with.

Having embarked a rowing boat, Raffaele is rowing, while Samuele is standing at the stern, ready to haul up traps, which have been placed on the bottom of the lagoon. It’s nice weather, the water is still and clear, only broken occasionally by the slow and delicate movement of the oars by Raffaele. They want to catch eel, a fish which prefers to move when it’s dark and stormy, according to Giovanni at the Fishermen’s Cooperative of Nora.

Slowly moving forward, we can see various contraptions in the water, that is the poles and nets Carlo showed us, together with some ropes. A trap is lying on the seafloor and Samuele pulls it up, unties the knot closing its end and empties the contents into a bucket. Then, he reties the knot and lets the trap back into the water. They repeat the same procedure 10-15 times, but the catch is small, indeed. Some gobies, a black scorpionfish and a couple of eels only.

Raffele has been a fisherman for more than 40 years and he kindly makes a sketch of how they set up traps in the lagoon. Firstly, the traps have to be set up perpendicularly to the movement of the fish. Secondly, the traps have to have a large opening, but there have to be obstacles if the fish should try to return. Thus, they set up the contraptions Carlo showed us such that they form two parallel V-shaped nets with a vertical net in between. The Vs form the obstacles for the fish. Having passed the opening, one net is placed obliquely on each side such that it gets gradually more narrow. A trap, consisting of a cylinder-shaped net with a funnel-shaped opening, is placed between the nets. Finally, a V-shaped net is placed behind the trap. This arrangement is repeated in a row extending from near the shoreline to about 200 metres into the lagoon. A coarse sketch is shown below.

Raffaele and Samuele tell us that they fish in the lagoon and the canal from October to March and from April to September in the sea. After having emptied and laid back all the traps, we return to the fishery where the other fishermen are sorting and selling fish, while the local cats are patiently waiting for a morsel.

We also meet Carlo again who explains that, in addition to being a feeding ground for small fry, the lagoon is also used to feed sea water to the salt works at Sant’Antioco. In May, when the fishermen start fishing in the sea, sea water is pumped into the lagoon, pushing large amounts of sea water via a canal to Sant’Antioco.

Finally, we say goodbye to the fishermen, all of them being open and friendly.

29/10/2014
Sa Tiria farm and guesthouse

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Sa Tiria is located on land where members of the same family have been cultivating fruits and vegetables besides raising sheep and pigs for more than 100 years. About 12 years ago, they decided to build a guest house together with an on-site restaurant, all of excellent quality.

The area of Sa Tiria amounts to about 150 hectares, including the guest house, houses for the family, a garden, a barn for the sheep, a pen and a small pool for the pigs, olive forests, fields where they cultivate vegetables and fruits, meadows where the sheep can go grazing and fields for cultivating fodder for the sheep, in particular, in dry periods. The property also covers a large area of sparse trees with Mediterranean scrub.

There is also an abandoned quarry, where granite was extracted some decades ago, at the foot of the hill behind the farm.

The farm and guesthouse is located between the hill and the country road, while the sea is located about 1 km in the opposite direction.

Both the interior and the exterior of the guesthouse look very attractive, while it is surrounded by an ample parking space and a rich diversity of local trees and flowers. The guesthouse is managed by the sisters Carla and Linda, while their brothers Lucio and Salvatore take care of the farm. Their parents live next to the guesthouse, but leave the daily running to their children.

The on-site restaurant is large, high-ceilinged and airy, while a modern and functional kitchen is located in an adjoining room. An environment filled with fragrances of local dishes and where all the meals for the guests are made.

Every morning, one of the sisters would prepare a delicious breakfast of bread, home-made jams from strawberry trees, quince and plums together with yogurt and various sheep’s cheeses and cold cuts, fruit juices, home-made pastries and of course tea and coffee. A well-assorted selection of fresh, organic fruits was always available. While not cooking, they seemed to be always busy cleaning the premises. Besides, they were knowledgeable and always willing to share information about places worth seeing, spectacular beaches and anything else which could interest their guests.

The wholesome and ample dinners were also made from local ingredients and using local recipes. Starters were followed by various pasta dishes, while the main course could be e.g. roasted lamb or piglet accompanied by boiled vegetables, mixed salads, olives and roasted potatoes, followed by local cheeses, fruits and pastries. To drink, a bottle of wine was available together with water and a glass of myrtle was offered at the end of each meal.

The fine rooms were located sequentially next to the restaurant, while a terrace extended along the whole building. Comfortable garden furniture was outside each room such that it was possible to relax outside the rooms in the balmy evenings or any other time of the day, sensing the scents of the abundant Mediterranean vegetation on the property.

One evening, we followed Carla for a walk around the farm. The sheep were outside eating hay provided by one of her brothers. All or most of them were pregnant and they didn’t produce milk, but there was a room where the sheep could be milked after they had born lambs because, in general, they produce more milk than is required by their offspring.

We also paid a visit to the pigs, which had a large pen all for themselves and a little pond where they could cool themselves on hot summer days. Like many pigs, they looked at us curiously and expectantly, waiting for a treat.

Having stayed for four days at this welcoming place, we said goodbye to Carla and continued our journey along the south coast of Sardinia.

28/10/2014
Cristiana and Tiziana Vargiu – tomato growers

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Since the Vargiu family are both agriculturalists and pastoralists, we also visited their farm consisting of two greenhouses with a combined area of 2.5 hectares where they are growing tomatoes along the alluvial plain of Santa Margherita di Pula.

Upon our arrival, we were met by Efisio Vargiu’s wife, Maria Teresa, who showed us the way to the greenhouses where Cristiana and Tiziana Vargiu were tending tomato plants. Their brother Giuseppe was apparently working with artificial irrigation, dividing his time with shepherding goats in the highlands in the morning and doing whatever is required in the greenhouses in the lowlands in the afternoon.

Both Cristiana and Tiziana were originally students, but broke off their studies in order to grow tomatoes. Both of them being aged about 30, said their choice was deliberate, but also difficult.

Walking between the lines of tomatoes, we notice the difference between inside and outside. We are approaching November, but the air is dry and the temperature is about 28°C, while it’s constantly 26°C and somewhat humid inside, parameters which are necessary for cultivating tomatoes. The type of tomato they are cultivating remains firm and fresh even after maturation, making them very popular in the market.

Regarding cultivation, the tomato plants are planted in the beginning of September. First, a straight furrow is made in the soil, then a hose with small. regularly spaced holes is extended along the whole furrow. Finally, the small tomato plants, having a height of about 10 cm, are planted next to each hole in the hose such that they can be watered with droplets, which is called drip irrigation. More information on drip irrigation can be found here.

As the mother plant is growing, shoots will inevitably start appearing and Tiziana and Cristiana have to decide if they shall let the plant have two or three shoots. They have chosen to have three, while some other growers prefer two. Tomato plants are climbers/vines and the shoots grow quickly upwards. In order to prevent that they fall down, thin twines are attached to each shoot and also to a horizontal metal bar about 2 m above each row of tomato plants. Then, the twine is twisted around the plant, a procedure which has to be repeated as the shoot is growing upwards. Another operation, which has to be done continuously, is to remove leaves since new shoots will often appear and start growing leaves. Often, two shoots start growing in opposite directions at the same level. Only one of the shoot is wanted because the leaves require nutrients, while the cultivators want them to arrive at the tomatoes as far as as possible. At the same time as Tiziana and Cristiana are removing leaves, they are also monitoring the health of the plants. A common disease is tomato leaf mould, whose first symptom is white spots on the leaves.

When the tomato plants are approaching the metal bars suspended over each row of tomato plants, they have to be lowered, else they will go on growing and degrade the quality of the tomatoes. If the tomato plants are supported by twine, this entails a lot of work for each plant as Giuseppe showed us. Alternatively, they are also using some kind of suspender, which makes this operation very easy. We were told that the tomato plants have an ideal height where they produce tomatoes at seven different levels. Having attained an ideal height, the Vargiu siblings may harvest tomatoes at the lowest level three months after the tiny tomato plants were planted. As time passes, they can harvest tomatoes from the second lowermost level and so on. Harvest lasts from December to June when the tomatoes at the highest level are harvested.

After having been harvested, the tomatoes are sorted in a machine according to their sizes. Then, they are packaged and sold wholesale to retailers.The room with the tomato sorting machine also contain some apparatuses for receiving goat’s milk brought by Giuseppe and his father back to the farm.

In order to pollinate the tomato plants, small boxes with cultured bumblebees are placed inside the greenhouses. Pollen on the male tomato flowers is released by means of buzz pollination. An introduction to pollination can also be found here.

Although using drip irrigation limits waste of water, not all of it will be consumed by the tomato plants, leading to that weeds will start growing where the soil is humid. Since they also need nutrients from the soil, weeding has to be done occasionally.

In July and August, old plants are uprooted, the soil is plowed, manure is added and new furrows are made. Then, another set of small tomato plants are planted and drip irrigation is set up again, repeating the growth cycle.

27/10/2014
Vargiu goat farm

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Going from the town of Pula, we drove through a large pine forest planted by man during the fascist era in Italy (1924-1943) when large oak forests together with indigenous plants were cut down in order to provide wood for building railways. Anyway, the forest we’re passing through is pretty, with lots of green pine trees, valleys, and reddish granite peaks.

Having arrived at the parking space, we have to cross a small, dry riverbed before arriving at the goat farm at the top of a hillock. The view from the hillock is beautiful with a valley below and hills on the other side of the valley covered by bright, green pines in contrast with scattered, reddish columns of granite emerging between them and a brilliant, blue sky overhead.

Just below the hillock, in a clearing illuminated by the sun, a flock of goats is passing through a gate in the fence surrounding the farm, while the owner of the farm, Efisio Vargiu, talks about raising goats. In fact, he started following his father raising goats when he was a small boy, first for fun, since because he wanted it.

However, his father wanted to gradually reduce the number of goats and instead start cultivating a vineyard on his property along the alluvial plain of Santa Margherita di Pula. Instead, Efisio wanted to increase the size of the flock arriving at a total number of 500 goats.

Fortunately, Efisio is being helped doing this difficult, but captivating work by his son Giuseppe, both of them determined to continue the family tradition.

Nowadays, the size of the flock has been reduced to 190 individuals, all of whose names both Efisio and Giuseppe know by heart due to the affectionate tie between man and animal. The goats have names like: Cerexia, Bellina, Scamminada, Sposixedda, Scriana, Rubidosa, Anixedda… where the x is pronounced liked sh in e.g. ash.

Only an affectionate shepherd can remember 190 names and recognise the appearance of every animal of the flock, but it’s only through this mutual bond that they can work in harmony. Efisio says that he’s born for this type of work and he has never regretted his choice of work. Evidently, this activity should be sustained and even increased. Unfortunately, Efisio asks rhetorically why the politicians aren’t able to see and understand how difficult it is to even find a spare shepherd. In particular, he doesn’t understand why he has to pay for a concession to the state for using an area for letting his animals graze. This activity is heading towards extinction and as he mentions with bitterness: “We are very sad when we know that our animals are roaming freely in the forest for which we pay a concession. The goats are scared and put in danger by hunters who can use the same area without paying anything. They are free to walk around, shooting wild animals for sports, while we are working in order to make a living and to maintain a demanding and irreplaceable human activity.”

Today, father and son have arrived relatively late at the pen because at this time of the year the work is light, consisting of letting the goats enter the pen and feeding them what is required to complement the nourishment of the animals. The adult goats are all pregnant, leading to that they produce no or very little milk. Fortunately, both father and son are able to demonstrate that they can milk their goats by hand although the amount produced is minuscule. However, when the kids are born, the goats are milked since they produce more than their kids need and the milk is sold to dairies. However, the main income is given by the number of kids, which are born and survive. Both father and son have to be very attentive and help the goats in case of difficulty with the births. Naturally, the relation between man and animal gets even closer when the births are occurring.

According to Efisio, in addition to remembering all the names of the goats, a shepherd must also be able to recognise all the kids, which get the same name as their mothers.

In addition to having a mutually affectionate relation between man and animals, a shepherd also must be able to identify when the bucks are ready to mate (from June to September) and has to record the date when every goat has mated with a buck. From conception to birth takes 5 months minus 5 days, making Efisio and Giuseppe very alert when full term is approaching. In particular, if the goats are grazing far from the pen, a birth can be fatal for either goat or kid or even both of them, which would entail a major loss for the shepherds. Having recorded the date of conception, they can be present when the goats are about to give birth.

While explaining these details to us, Efisio watches smilingly his son because he’s so proud of him. He has an extraordinary ability to help the goats if they have problems giving birth to their kids, in particular when the kid is positioned awkwardly, Efisio says.

In spite of all the attention Efiso and Giuseppe are paying, sometimes a kid will be born far from the pen. In such cases, the goat stays with its kid, which has to rise up and walk to its mother in order to suckle. For the first three days, the kid’s paws grow rapidly more robust, but mother and kid stay together in the same place, else the kid can easily be killed by predators if it is left on its own. Then, when the kid is strong enough, they both walk back to the pen with the kid easily crossing rough terrain.

During the first 35-40 days of the kid’s life, it lives inside the pen and sleeps inside a small room made of wooden boards and lying on a bed of branches with dry leaves, protecting it from the cold and from predators. Every 24 hours, in the morning, the mother returns, letting her kid suckle. Unfortunately, the kids, which represent the major income of the farm, are destined for the market, while only a minor number of them are allowed to join the flock. A product much sought after is rennet, a typical cheese which doesn’t require any processing. It’s obtained by extracting the stomach of the kid after having suckled its mother for the last time just before it’s slaughtered. This type of cheese is smoked and sold together with the meat of the kid.

26/10/2014
Farm and guesthouse Bingia Bonaria

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The farm and guesthouse Bingia Bonaria is located on the lowlands just south of the town of Pula. There, a large traditional house is situated in a garden with palms and various Mediterranean plants, making an oasis-like area in a very dry environment. This green “island” is managed by Francesca e Ercole Loi together with their son Alberto.

In fact, the Church owned this area from the Middle ages onwards, while the Mercedari friars of the Church of Bonaria were cultivating vines here.

Ercole told us that some time in the 1950s, the statue of the Madonna of Bonaria was brought by pilgrims from Cagliari to a farmhouse opposite to the guest house of Bingia Bonaria, a distance of about 35 km. During the whole religious feast, the statue stayed put, while pilgrims arrived more or less continuously. The name Bingia is Sardinian for vine, while the second name is taken from the statue of the Madonna of Bonaria.

External stairs and walkways lead to rooms on the first floor of the guesthouse where guests can enjoy the view of the lovely garden from above, while below there is an ample terrace where they can stay outside in the pleasant atmosphere.

The sympathetic Loi family really tries to satisfy the needs of their guests within reasonable limits. Being forthcoming and available, the formal distance between owners and guests is absent. The dining room is next to the kitchen where all meals are prepared by the Loi family. However, time permitting, they also eat in the same room and at the same time as their guests. The ingredients for their meals come from the nearby sea and land. A large part of the vegetables and fruits being served comes from the garden of Ercole and Alberto, who in spite of very little rain, salty air due to a short distance to the sea and high temperatures, are able to cultivate a large variety of fruits and vegetables.

The following fruits are grown: strawberries, figs, prunes, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, pomegranates, grapes, watermelons and melons.

They are also cultivating tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis/courgettes, eggplants/aubergines, basil, onions, artichokes, beans, parsley and lettuce.

Various wild, but edible plants like arugula/rocket, chicory, chard, fennel and mint also grow on their property.

All of these products are used in the kitchen for preparing dishes like salads and jams.

Alberto kindly showed us how to make a cleft graft using a shoot of apricot, which needs to be made more resistant against diseases, and a robust plum tree. Since he’s only making grafts in spring, he opened a graft which had failed where a branch of the plum tree had been sawn off and a cut had been made. He inserted the shoot in the cut and told us that he would have embedded both the branch and the shoot in a piece of clay in order to protect both against bad weather and keeping the graft humid. Finally, he would have attached the graft tightly by means of a band of raffia fibers.

Having stayed several days at this lovely place and met so much hospitality, we said goodbye to Francesca and Ercole. Alberto, who had showed us the way to the Vargiu goat farm and even given us a ride back to Bingia Bonaria.

We just have to say a heartfelt thank you to all members of the Loi family.

25/10/2014
Pula confectionery

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In the old town centre of Pula, everyone is advised to visit the Pula confectionery in 147, via Nora in order to enjoy the sight, fragrance and taste of the typical Sardinian sweets prepared by the owner Caterina and her assistant Stefania.

Having entered the shop, it’s possible to let the eyes wander over a large variety of local sweets like spadulas, papassinos, croccantini with apples, almonds and nuts, sebadas and various combinations with dried fruits, honey and so on, while pasta like ravioli with various fillings, noodles, pasta spirals and fregola are placed in another counter.

Although it would have been tempting to buy one of each of the sweets, instead we enter the confectionery adjacent to the shop where all their products are made.

Inside, we are met by Caterina, who in the course of our short visit, seems to be a strong, energetic, determined and capable woman, while also being very sympathetic and hospitable.

While she’s working, she tells us she’s been fond of making sweets since she was only 6-7 years old when she learnt from her mother and grandmother. She loved learning new ways of making all sorts of candies and inventing new ones.

While her sisters bought ice cream when they had received their weekly pocket money, she preferred to buy new ingredients, which she would use to make other sweets. She was never more happy than when she could return home with the required ingredients and doing this creative activity in her spare time.

How she enjoyed herself! She kneaded and manipulated the dough, mixed it with various ingredients in order to make a particular kind of sweet, in the end shaping the dough as she wanted before cooking it in an oven.

Growing up, she studied, got married, started working and got children. In 2000, she was working as an employee, but decided to give her notice in order to invest all her savings and energy into making premises ready for both having a confectionery and an adjacent shop for selling her products. After lots of work and time, Caterina could realise her childhood dream.

15 years later, it’s obvious that she has succeeded and it was the right choice for her, while we feel fortunate to be present watching her daily fulfillment of her dream.

When we enter, she’s inspecting a bucket full of ricotta cheese, holding it in her hands, observing the ricotta closely, sensing the smell and tasting a sample in order to verify if it’s fresh because it easily gets spoiled. While she rejects one bucket of ricotta, she accepts another one and pours the contents into a mixer where it is combined with other ingredients like orange peel, saffron, sugar, flour and eggs in order to form the filling of the sweets.

After having mixed all the ingredients thoroughly, the resulting mousse has to rest at least 12 hours, but Caterina had prepared the required amount of mousse the day before such that she could proceed immediately with making a typical pastry called pardula, which is also called formagella and casadina depending on the region where it’s being made. However, while the mousse is allowed to mature for some more time, she starts preparing the dough, which will contain the filling.

First, she introduces a piece of flat dough into a roller, letting the dough pass back and forth. Being helped by Stefania, the dough gets thinner and longer until it has a thickness of, say, one millimetre, a length of about 4 metres and a width of, say, 40 centimetres. They lift the dough together and put it gently on a workbench. The dough, which consists of flour, water and salt, is also used for making ravioli and sebadas where dough with the smallest thickness is used for making pardulas followed by ravioli and finally sebadas.

Caterina works diligently all the time, dividing the dough longitudinally by using a roller cutter consisting of 4 parallel wheels, an idea which has been conceived by her and made by her husband. Then, she uses another roller cutter to divide the four resulting stripes perpendicularly such that they are divided into equally sized rectangles. Stefania uses a pastry bag to apply the same amount of filling to each rectangle, while Caterina dexterously folds the dough around the filling. Before, we have watched confectioners making stellar shapes of the dough around the filling, but she forms a cylindrical shape for about 180 degrees, while she makes a complex shape of the rest. It seems easy because she works so ably, but only years of experience could allow someone to shape the dough so effortlessly.

Some time later, small fragrant miracles emerge from the oven. The dough has become golden and crisp, while the filling looks delicious, pleasant aromas fill the workshop and our noses and the taste? Caterina invites us to have a taste, a delicious taste indeed, resulting from the hands of a skilled artisan.

25/10/2014
Fishermen’s Cooperative of Nora
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Having passed the breakwater connecting the remains of the ancient Punic-Roman town of Nora and the islet Fradis Minoris, we met Giovanni Lenti, the manager of the Fishermen’s Cooperative of Nora together with Mario, a fisherman who had just started catching fish from the lagoon bordering the breakwater.

We had arrived at the sandstone islet which together with the breakwater serve as a barrier between the sea and a lagoon being fed by two mouths, which can be opened or closed, connecting the lagoon and the sea. In fact, the breakwater was built in 1957, increasing the area of the lagoon and serving as a bridge between the mainland and the islet.

The lagoon, the islet with its surrounding dune and the sea are three different eco-systems, which are also connected and interdependent. In the past, like now, the islet has always been useful for fishing in both the lagoon and the sea.

While the Romans used the islet as a quarry for sandstone, traces which can easily be seen, the Catholic Church took possession of it in the Middle Ages. Then, the islet was used as a base for fishing and preparing the fish for consumption. Since the islet is called Fradis Minoris, which is Sardinian for Fratres Minoris in Latin, meaning Minor Brothers, it’s probable that a monastery has been on the islet.

In the 20th century, private persons were given a concession to the islet and to fish in the lagoon until the 1980s when the commune decided to regain full ownership since the last owner gave up the concession and let it be known that the concession could be given to a better one. At the same time, a local golf club wanted to turn the islet together with the lagoon and its surroundings into a golf course. Fortunately, the Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, prevented that this environmental heritage was completely changed or even destroyed. Then, in 1987, a concession for maintaining the lagoon and founding a restaurant was given to the cooperative “Ittica di Nora” or “Fishermen’s Cooperative of Nora” freely translated.

The cooperative started immediately improving the conditions for life in and around the lagoon, removing a run-down building on the islet and replacing it with a restaurant, various aquariums together with explanatory signs about life in the lagoon were set up. Some time later, the restaurant got the name Fradis Minoris.

In addition, the cooperative set up other buildings destined for housing various water tanks in order to set up stages of an educational path. They have also constructed tanks and various supporting functions for recovering cetaceans and sea turtles which are in need of help.

Three fundamental guidelines seem to govern the goals together with the political, economic, and environmental choices of the cooperative:
- exploit the resources of the lagoon and create work for members of the cooperative, impacting the environment lagoon – dune – sea as little as possible at the same time.
- set up an educational path on the islet in order to let visitors learn about this particular environment seeking to create an awareness of the environmental value of places on which economic activity has to occur and grow.
- be as self-sufficient as possible by using the catch from the lagoon and the sea together with herbs grown on the islet in the kitchen of the restaurant where a group of young people are making delicious courses.
Fishing in the lagoon follows traditions which have been in use for several thousand years and it’s practised in accordance with the biological rhythms of the fish. The lagoon is a shallow water environment where young fish are able to find lots to eat, meaning that they stay in the lagoon from small fry to mature. Then, their instincts will make them try to go to sea by swimming along the shoreline of the lagoon, searching for a counter-current, which occurs at high tide when water is flowing from the sea to the lagoon. In fact, the salinity and temperature in the lagoon are so variable that the eggs can’t hatch. Instead, the fish lay eggs in the sea, which has a stable temperature and salinity. After the eggs are hatched, the small fry will enter the lagoon by swimming against the current, which occurs at low tide when water is flowing from the lagoon to the sea.

The fishermen of the cooperative practise two types of fishing:

Mobile fishing follows the movements of the fish and depends on the ability of the fishermen to identify when the fish will form a school. Once identified, nets have to be lowered, encircling the shoal, avoiding noise and abrupt movements, which can cause even minuscule vibrations in the water. Any sudden change of direction of the school, leaving the area without letting the fishermen change the position of the boat or prevent them from anticipating the position of the school, may ruin the whole operation. Thus, the net is lowered in a wide circle around the school, keeping it floating by means of small floats attached to the net. Having encircled the fish, the fishermen hit the boat with a wooden object, creating vibrations in the water, frightening the fish, making them move towards the centre of the circle. Then, the fishermen can start decreasing the area of the circle formed by the net, diminishing the space in which the fish can move at the same time. Finally, the majority of the fish in the shoal can be pulled into the boat.

Fixed fishing consists of attaching nets in the lagoon from the shore to, say, one to two hundred metres into the lagoon, forming barriers which impede the movements of the fish from the lagoon to the sea. When the fish meet the obstacles, they don’t return, but swim along the nets, trying to find a way out to the sea. In order to catch the fish, traps are placed at specific places along the nets. They are cylindrically shaped with a funnel-like opening such that it’s easy for the fish to enter, but not to exit. The fishermen lift up the traps by pulling up a wooden pole which has been led through a loop of rope attached to the trap. Having pulled up the trap, it’s opened by untying a knot at the opposite end of the entrance and the fish are let into a bucket. Finally, the knot is re-tied, the pole is led through the rope loop and attached to the bottom of the lagoon.

The traps which are placed along the nets are quite big, say, a diameter of 40 cm and a length of 2 metres. Instead, other traps are also used, with dimensions of, say, a diameter of 25 cm and a length of 50 cm. These traps are placed where the fishermen know from experience that there are lots of fish and a bait is placed inside.

We joined Mario, the fisherman, in a rowboat. Rowing slowly, he rowed along the barrier in the middle off the lagoon, pulling up wooden poles occasionally, releasing the rope loop, untying the knot and emptying the catch into a bucket. We watched him catch fish like bass, seabream, mullet, etc. Later, he showed us where sea water was entering the lagoon at high tide and vice versa. We could both see and hear water from the sea enter the lagoon during our visit. Barriers extending across the whole opening let the fishermen allow fish to enter or exit the lagoon.

On our short fishing trip, Mario released small fish into the lagoon, while the rest was either sold at markets or taken to the restaurant Fradis Minoris.

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We were watching the young cooks of Fradis Minoris turn the fish from the lagoon into elaborate dishes with an ability which may be termed “culinary art”. There, the tastes of the sea are joined with the tastes and fragrances of dry land complementing each other. The menu included bottarga of mullet, octopus with squash purée, king oyster mushrooms with mulberry sauce, quince pie with ricotta cheese, etc. A treat for the eyes and the palate. A real excellence of the Mediterranean.
24/10/2014
Farm and guest house Su Sattisceddu

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Traversing the lowlands of Campidano and driving on the country road between Luras and San Nicolò d’Arcidano, we arrived at the family-driven farm and guest house Su Sattisceddu. Mauro, the eldest son, was expecting us and he kindly showed us the way to the farm, situated a short distance from the guest house, where his father Giuseppe is raising sheep.

Before, this farm was occupied with selling cheese and meat, now they produce and sell milk to a cooperative called L’armentizia moderna located about 30 kilometres away in the region of Guspini. However, they prefer selling rams selected for breeding. In fact, select sheep raised at the farm are shown at national fairs.

Mauro, being an expert on Sardinian sheep, explained together with his father, the characteristics of a good Sardinian sheep include: completely white fleece without any stains, long and even woolen fleece, no horns and a perfect line of the lower back.

Having showed us the the way to the farm and explained how to judge the characteristics of sheep, he left and let his father Giuseppe show us around the farm.

First, he showed us a group of sheep, inside a fence, which were preparing for birth and to which he gave some cereals in order to show us that the sheep get their required daily food rations in a trough. Instead, regarding alfalfa and hay, Giuseppe leaves it inside the fence, letting the sheep eat it whenever they want.

He also showed us the milking room where food is distributed evenly in a trough, then the sheep are allowed to enter, but they have to put their heads through a rack and when all the animals have arrived, the farmer locks the rack such that the sheep have to stay, facilitating the milking.

Moreover, Giuseppe explained that sheep need to eat continuously 24 hours a day, and like us, they need a varied diet. Thus, in addition to the grass they are grazing, they are fed hay, straw, etc. It’s also important to give them concentrated animal feed such that they don’t lack any nutrients. Usually, the food additives consist of seeds and legumes like beans mixed with a pulp of beetroot and cereals like barley, all of which are cultivated by Giuseppe. This highly concentrated mix is mainly given to the sheep in winter when the meadows run out of edible plants and the sheep are most vulnerable to diseases. That is during the period when the sheep are pregnant, when they are bearing lambs and the succeeding period of lactation.

In fact, it’s very important that the sheep, being ruminants, consume the right quantity of chewable fibre, fundamental for the health of sheep.

Giuseppe also showed us some fields sown with seeds which would give rise to plants most suitable for grazing by sheep, among which are ryegrass, Egyptian clover and sulla, the last one being much appreciated by animal breeders. In fact, it is used as fodder of prime quality, containing lots of nutrients and being rich in proteins. It’s drought resistant and, being a legume, it captures nitrogen from the atmosphere and gives it to the soil in which it is growing. Thus, it is often used between cultivation of plants which only extract nutrients from the soil.

Being shown around the farm, we saw several meadows where the sheep could graze. Giuseppe sows the meadows some time between October and December such that there will always be a meadow on which the sheep can graze.

Giuseppe has been a sheep farmer for many years and he’s very passionate about his work, bringing forth an activity which was started by his great-grandfather and he really hopes that his children will do likewise.

19/10/2013
New agriculture San Paolo

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On the outskirts of Villacidro in an industrial zone, the company “Nuova Agricola San Paolo” or “New Agriculture San Paolo” is located. It’s a family-driven enterprise, which has been working for decades with food from agriculture and whose specialties are production of dried fruits, conserves, jams and extra virgin olive oil. This company occupies itself mainly with fruits and vegetables from local producers, buying products of prime quality from producers they trust and they guarantee the traceability of their finished products, offering transparency and genuine products of high quality.

Having entered their place, we could see their wide selection of products among which:

Conserves of stuffed chili peppers, tomatoes in vegetable oil, thorny artichokes, wild asparagus, onios in sweet-and-sour-sauce, dried tomatoes, wild cardoon, beans, peppers,stuffed tomatoes, mushrooms and other types of fruits and vegetables.

Vegetable creams, in particular based on artichokes,but also carrots, chili peppers, onions, yellow peppers, dried tomatoes, wild cardoons, wild asparagus, olive and one based on tuna.

Jams of peach, strawberries, cherries, lemons and oranges with peel.

Extra virgin olive oil “San Paolo” derived from olives called bosana and nera di Villacidro.

During our interview, we noticed the meticulousness with which they are selecting and preparing their products, everything done manually and once prepared, they are bottled and pasteurised. Their products follow the seasons and they gather of course wild edible plants like asparagus, chicory, artichoke and cardoon.

They are always experimenting with new products like, for instance, jam of cactus pears, rough lemon, pumpkin and artichokes with bottarga.

One of the products we found most intriguing was tomatoes in salt being a typical Sardinian product, which was and is still being used, especially for making various types of soup, stew, thick vegetable soup and sauces. It’s excellent as a starter with vegetables and it is well suited to be used as seasoning.

This way of conserving tomatoes was used in times past because there were no greenhouses and the only way of growing tomatoes all year. Instead, the tomatoes were dried and conserved in salt.

In fact, the owner of the company told us that this recipe was given to her by her mother, but it isn’t well known in Sardinia, rather it was typically used in the region of Villacidro and the middle of Campidano.

Presently, the products of this company, in particular products in vegetable oil and dried tomatoes, are requested all over Sardinia, by some hotels in the north of Italy, by shops selling high-quality products only and some are exported to France.

Naturally, this firm participates at national food fairs in order to let more people know about how good their products are.

Anyway, those working at this company want to do the whole path themselves, that is from cultivation in the fields to finished products in order to offer consumers products of prime quality made entirely by hand.

We thank the people at ” Nuova Agricola San Paolo” for setting aside time for us, showing us their work and telling us about their short-term and long-term plans for which they are aiming, being aware of that they are offering genuine products which are following Sardinian traditions.

17/10/2013
Antonietta Cuozzo – fresh food producer

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We went to visit the combined kitchen and fresh pasta shop of Antonietta Cuozzo and her son Carlo Cherchi at 87, via Figoli in Oristano. Antonietta founded this enterprise in 1971 and she has expanded her firm gradually being aided by her son and some employees.

Having entered the shop, we were surprised by the sight of lots of delicious pastries because we didn’t know that Antonietta was making anything else than fresh pasta, as shown on the exterior of her shop. Anyway, inside the shop we were tempted by the sight of delicious, hand-made sweets like seadas, various pies, ciambelle and papassini using high-quality ingredients.

However, the product which was most intriguing was the Sardinian roasted fregola, a typical Sardinian pasta made from semolina, water and salt, all which is reduced to tiny spheres, which are roasted in an oven.

It really looks like the famous couscous probably due to cultural exchanges between Sardinia and the peoples of North Africa, a not surprising supposition given the exchanges between the peoples of the Mediterranean for millennia.

Fregola is often served in fish or meat soups, but also with risotto and sheep’s cheese or more traditionally with various types of molluscs like clams and mussels.

This firm also occupies itself with making various tasty dishes ready to be taken away like baked pasta, polenta, ravioli with ham, cannelloni, etc.

During our visit, some of the coworkers were preparing parmigiana di melanzane, salad pies with cheese and vegetables and meat sauce for seasoning ravioli with meat, the specialty of this firm.

When we were thanking Antonietta, she kindly gave us some bags of fregola, which we appreciated highly. This was a pleasant and interesting visit and Antonietta and her son willingly answered all our questions.

17/10/2013
Porta confectionery and bakery

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After having arrived in Gonnosfanadiga, a so-called town of bread, where bread turns out to be one of the leading products of this village in Medio Campidano, we went to one of the best bakeries in this region, the Porta bakery in order to get to know some of the history of bread connected with the most ancient traditions of the Sardinian culture. The Porta bakery was established in 1918 when Grandma Chiara was always preparing bread for her family and their neighbours. A lot has happened since, but due to lots of work, sacrifice and passion, the Porta confectionery and bakery has become a point of reference in Sardinia for appreciation of the art of bread-making. In 2007, this firm started an educational workshop on bread, giving children, but also adults, the possibility to get to know how to make bread and, at the same time, hold in high regard such a genuine product.

The objective with the educational workshop is to engage all participants in every phase of the preparation of bread: milling Cappelli wheat, sifting, making dough with a sourdough starter and baking.

We were also invited into the workshop of this firm where a wonderful gathering of traditional types of bread in Sardinia like moddizzosu, coccoi and civraxiu together with a small stone mill besides ingredients for making bread like white flour, semolina, Cappelli wheat and a sourdough starter were exhibited on a large table.

Sourdough starters contain yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. While the yeasts expand bread by leaving air pockets after baking, the lactic acid bacteria improve taste, sight, smell and touch of bread as well as their shelf life, nutritional value and wholesomeness. A sourdough starter contains thousands of different microorganisms, which will leaven the bread much slower than when using baker’s yeast.

The sourdough starter has to be renewed regularly and each time it is used for making bread, a part of it is kept for the next bread-making. The microorganisms in the sourdough starter are kept alive by giving them nutrients like semolina for food and water for drinking. It is also necessary to stir it such that the microorganisms can breathe. In fact, the sourdough starter used at Porta dates back at least 70 years, being refreshed from generation to generation.

At the Porta workshop, the students are taught to use all five senses in order to help them recognise a well-made sourdough bread. For instance, it’s possible to recognise a sourdough bread from the sound which arises when it is hit by one’s hand, and the bakers at Porta call it “hear the quality of the bread” because the leavening leaves air pockets inside the bread. A freshly baked bread called moddizosu will emit a sound like a drum when it’s hit by a hand. Looking inside the bread, it can be seen that it is yellowish due to the semolina, a uniform density of holes and a humid, but not pasty texture and a slightly sour aroma. Thus, having “graduated” from the Porta workshop, bakers of all ages can find out if a sourdough bread is made well and in accordance with Sardinian traditions.

This precious food encloses in a certain sense the history of Sardinia.

Riccardo, a master baker at Porta told us: “Each bread in Sardinia was made in accordance with requirements to consumption. For instance, the soft bread which was made in lower Campidano was a bread for peasants because they required a bread which would last a couple of days. Instead, carasau is typical for the region of Nuoro because most of the men were shepherds working outside for long periods, requiring a bread which could last a month or even more. Then, there is the region of Ogliastra where breads were made with potatoes because farmers were cultivating them. There was also the bread of Carloforte, which are really crackers, and called the seaman’s bread because it was used by seamen during long voyages. The crackers were were dipped into water and flavoured with vegetable oil, vinegar, tomatoes and salted tuna. Moreover, there is a bread called spianatina, which is typical for the region of Ozieri”.

This means that every region of Sardinia has its own type of bread connected with the traditions of every place.

It was very interesting for use to rediscover, together with Riccardo, not just the secrets of bread-making, but in particular the symbolism of this food, a food which has become so important for Sardinian culture and traditions, being used in various religious ceremonies, like marriages, baptisms and communions, as a sign of good wishes.

We got to know the history of a bakery, or more correctly, the history of the Porta family through the experience of their ancestors and capabilities obtained over time, commit themselves and getting better and, at the same time, maintaining ancient traditions.

We thank the Porta family for having taught us to appreciate even more the deep roots of a wholesome and genuine food like the Sardinian bread.

16/10/2013
Farm and guest house Su Grabiolu

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The farm and guest house Su Grabiolu is located in the countryside between Siamanna and Villaurbana. A flat rock with an inscription of a fawn was placed next to the entrance to the farm of Giovanni Busìa and his wife Michela Murgia. Together they manage the guest house, an educational farm, animal husbandry and a farmhouse dairy. Upon arrival, Giovanni invited us inside the guest house and started telling us the history of Su Gabriolu. His ancestors had mainly worked as shepherds at least since 1800 originating from Barbagia and being natives of Fonni. He told us about his grandfather and his great-grandfather who arrived at Siamanna in 1880 with his family bringing almost nothing. Almost all men from Fonni practised transhumance, bringing their livestock to places with more or less fresh grass, meaning that they mainly moved their animals into the mountains in summer and into the valleys in winter. His great-grandfather was the first to buy land in the early 1900s and to build a small shelter for provisions, for storing cheese derived from sheep’s milk and protecting the sheep. His grandfather built a house for his family in the same place and his father built another and more comfortable one, both on the same property where Giovanni is continuing the activity started by his great-grandfather and where he has built the houses constituting the present Su Gabriolu and extended the property together with his wife.

Today Giovanni has a few hundred sheep, some donkeys, horses and pigs, a farmhouse dairy, a large property on which is cultivated fodder for the animals and various machines and vehicles for working the lands. Briefly, a multi-functional enterprise, a very big change during about 130 years.

I have visited various farms in Sardinia, seen how they cultivate fodder for the animals, how they are bred, how they are milked and how the milk is turned into cheese, but there is one thing which distinguishes Su Grabiolu from the other farms and that is production of sheep’s cheese without lactose. The idea of shifting from producing conventional cheese to cheese without lactose came to Giovanni when he realised that selling milk to the big dairys wouldn’t pay him what he needed to make a living nor making cheese for supermarket chains.

Both he and his wife talked with persons who didn’t eat cheese because of lactose intolerance (the inability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk and to a lesser extent milk-derived dairy products). Having discovered that nobody else were producing cheese without lactose, they decided to start doing it. Gradually, Giovanni succeeded in lowering the contents of lactose to less than 0.01% reaching an important goal because the number of people having lactose intolerance is increasing , leading to an increased demand for high quality, digestible cheese.

Giovanni uses raw milk, meaning that it has not been pasteurised or homogenised, for making this type of cheese. Thus, the milk has only been warmed up to about 40°C in order to make cheese. The cheeses are aged for at least two months in order to make inactive any dangerous microorganisms occurring in the raw milk.

Naturally, producing cheese from raw milk sets very high requirements to hygiene, but this is compensated by the organoleptic properties derived from raw milk, giving the resulting sheep’s cheese a characteristic taste and aroma. Another distinctive trait of this cheese without lactose is that it is made with vegetable rennet, while the majority of cheese is made with animal rennet. The vegetable rennet is derived from a mold, and according to Giovanni, it makes the taste of the finished product more intense. Using a vegetable rennet makes the cheeses acceptable for eating by Muslims, but Giovanni also plans to get his cheeses approved as kosher food within 2014, making them suitable for sale in Israel.

Giovanni is a very determined person who wants to make his products conform to the requirements of the highest quality and he has made a consistent choice: cease production of high quantities and replace it with high quality. He has changed the fodder of the animals from using concentrated animal feed with added vitamins and chemicals with more organic produce, rich in cereals and grass like tall fescue, which is good for soil conservation, and clover, which fixes nitrogen, reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers. In fact, having shifted the fodder of the sheep,they produce milk having a low level of cholesterol and Giovanni will probably succeed in getting his cheeses be certified as having a low quantity of cholesterol during 2014.

For the moment Su Grabiolu sells its products mainly in Sardinia, but they are really trying to export them as described above, selling them on-line and to fair trade groups.

15/10/2013
The House of Bread museum

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After our visit to Terra Noas, Roberto Atzini kindly showed us the way to the museum called “House of bread”. A house from the 1800s of the rich family Lai has been turned into a museum whose goal is to maintain ancient Sardinan traditions and, in particular, activities connected with bread-making.

This house was restored shortly by the Comunità Montana (Mountain community) and the Amministrazione del Comune di Villaurbana (Administration of the commune of Villaurbana). Inside, it’s possible to follow the path of bread, from the machines for harvesting and threshing via various types of grain to an exhibition of Sardinian breads like coccoi foll’e fa, moddixina, tureddu a fittasa, aniada, tureddu, coccoi pintau, all of them small masterpieces made by hand.

In order to make these breads, a sourdough starter was and is used. A sourdough starter contains yeasts and by feeding them, for instance, flour and water, they can live for ages. The sourdough starter is mixed with water, salt or Himalayan salt, semolina or re-milled semolina, forming dough. Shaping and decorating the dough by means of small tools (like tiny knives, etc.) due to the dexterity with which they are used, the shapes of the breads are turned into masterpieces. Not surprisingly, these elaborate breads are sometimes treated with preservatives in order to be given as a a sign of good wishes and in ceremonies like weddings, baptisms, communions, etc. When the shaping is finished, the breads are leavened during which food in the dough will be turned into carbon dioxide by the yeast, making the dough expand because the carbon dioxide will form air pockets. When the breads are baked, the yeast will die and the air pockets will remain.

There is also a Festival of bread in Villaurbana, a rediscovery of ancient tastes and ancient knowledge. All across the village, the public can participate in all phases of bread-making at home of the locals. Naturally, both the semolina, the re-milled semolina and the white flour from which the various types of bread are made, come from the Antique stone flour mill.

15/10/2013
Farm and guest house Terra Noas
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Having visited the Old Stone Mill, we followed Roberto Atzeni to his family-driven farm and guest house, Terra Noas, which is situated in a place called Sa Meliana, surrounded by lovely hills and forests.

The parents of Roberto, Nicolò Atzeni e Liliana Zucca, bought the lands in 1989. Today, the guest house consists of a large hall for meetings and receptions, some rooms for the guests, a big kitchen for making bread and sweets using the flours made at the Old Stone Mill, a wine cellar and a classroom for receiving children at their educational farm. In fact, this enterprise has been offering educational activities at the farm since 2002 and they include, but are not limited to the following:
- Grain – from seed to flour
- From grapes to wine
- The animals of the farm
- Organic farming
- Mediterranean flora and fauna
- Milk – from fodder to raw milk and cheese
By letting children experience these educational activities, they learn about life at a farm, about cultivation of edible plants and production of, for example, milk, and they get to know how agriculture is practised in this area.

Since animals like sheep, cows and horses are being raised at this farm, there are various buildings for the animals like a shelter for the sheep, a milking room, a stable for the horses, a pigpen with a shelter and a cowshed with a pen.

In fact, having visited the guest house, we followed Roberto to where some the animals were living, amongst others: sheep and lambs, rabbits, chickens and Limousin cattle.

Roberto and his family butchers their animals themselves and turn the meat into various courses, while milk from the animals is sold to a cooperative called Cooperativa Allevatori Ovini.

The Atzeni family also do organic cultivation of olives, grapevines and various vegetables and they are producing olive oil, pickled olives, wines like Cagnulari, San Giovese and Vermentino besides vegetables like tomatoes, courgettes, eggplants, peppers, chili peppers, etc.

Naturally, all of the vegetable and animal products are used in the kitchen of the guest house in order to prepare typical Sardinian courses for their guests.

It is clear that this is a multi-functional enterprise well managed by competent persons who are capable of recognising the richness of their territory.
15/10/2013