We, like everyone near-ish to the Atlantic it seems, got dumped on this weekend! And it’s gorgeous. We’ll let the pictures do the talking!
Next up, our team of winter volunteers gets introduced to the blog world. Exciting!
A presto…
Spannocchia played host this past weekend to a gorgeous event…the wedding of Catherine Detalle and Antoine Carle. Following a service at San Galgano, the happy couple was joined by 120 friends and family, most of whom made the trek down from various parts of France as well as the USA and beyond to dine and dance in front of the Villa. The weather held, after a very brief sprinkle early in the afternoon, and made for an idyllic setting as the sun set behind the hills and candles were light. The bride and groom were elegant as can be while taking full advantage of all the fun to be had. Festivities lasted till the wee hours and were followed up the next day by more delicious food at brunch, again, on the villa lawn. Family and friends have remained after the wedding to take advantage of the surrouding area, relax and enjoy the happy after-effects of the fun. Felicitazioni from the Spannocchia family to Catherine and Antoine…it was a pleasure and honor to have been a part of such a special day. Come back again soon!
A presto!
As frequent visitors to this blog are well-aware, Primo Maggio (May Day) is a hotly anticipated event here at Spannocchia. The farm welcomes a group of wandering minstrals, as it were, who spend the day traveling from farm to farm bringing music and dance to those waiting. Dressed in straw hats, red bandanas and floral skirts, the musicians graced the community and friends with traditional Tuscan songs and lead everyone in a vigorous folk dance. In return, Spannocchia laid out a tasty buffet of salumi, crostini, dolci and wines from the property to be enjoyed by one and all before heading on to the next stop.
While the farm was sad to say goodbye to the musicians, the sprit of May Day remained and Spannocchia was a flutter with activity throughout the weekend. American tradition followed close on the heels of that of Tuscany in the form of ‘Derby Day’, a tribute to the Kentucky Derby complete with more straw hats, lawn games, burgu, cornbread and, of course, proscuitto from the farm’s Cinta Senese!
A presto!
Over the past week, if you were lucky enough to take a walk in the Spannocchia woods, you might have come across a very interesting project to make wood charcoal! Rusty Lamer, Spannocchia’s Intern Program Director from 2002/2003 came back this spring, after completing his master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at UC Berkeley, to bring to life an important aspect of Spannocchia’s past.
Spannocchia’s forest was once a prime location for carbonaia (piles created for the production of wood charcoal). The charcoal is made by creating a huge wood pile and covering and packing it with soil and then tending to it while it burns for two days in an oxygen-depleted environment. Rusty was helped by a local charcoal expert named Rodolfo, who came to Spannocchia each day to help create the pile and monitor the process.
The charcoal can then be used in barbeques or for creating art (as in charcoal pencils). Rusty will remain at Spannocchia for another few weeks to complete an art project using the charcoal he created. A presto!
Last weekend Spannocchia Farm Manager Riccio and Castello Director Daniela attended Terra Madre Toscana 2008. The conference, held in the Siena province in the town of Chianciano Terme, was attended by farmers and producers, Slow Food convivium leaders, important regional offices and government officials, representatives from various local NGO offices, representatives from the various Slow Food offices and from the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity. The object of the two days was to create a network in Tuscany. The important themes discussed were:
-The end of cheap food
-Facing global issues from a local perspective
-Being custodians of biodiversity, not only species, but knowledge, memory and practices
-Local farmers markets
Tuscany has the highest number of Slow Food members of any region in Italy. It is a leader among Italian regions, and many environmental initiatives get there start here.
The President of Slow Food Italy, Roberto Burdese, invited the farmers, fisherman, chefs, restaurant owners, and everyone else who deals with food to get involved with their local Slow Food convivium to create a dynamic group that can make change at the local level such as in schools, cafeterias, hospitals, etc….
Up until now, Slow Food has educated about taste, they are now also focusing on educating about consumption. A presto!
Powered by WordPress