Francesco Barberio is a Sicilian singer and musician. He has been playing and singing for 20 years, together with his band, touring all of eastern Sicily during parties, weddings and events. The work is steady. Yet Francesco has in his heart a simple and ancient passion that does not settle: love for the earth, for its healthy and genuine products. And he prefers to live according to the rhythms of nature. This is how, in Giardini Naxos, with Etna view, begins its "OrtoNatura", using autochthonous seeds cultivated with natural and synergistic methods.
There are many attentions that puts in that hectare of land on loan, in an area full of generous but abandoned campaigns. There is nothing prepackaged in his experience. His motto is: “observation and practice". And a lot of patience.
He shows us with pride of the effort with his bare hands the rows of vegetables and salads he has planted thanks to the discovery and the help of an instrument recently invented by an Italian genius and bought on the internet at a low price: the bio-fork.
"It's a sort of spade / fork that allows you to move the earth while standing, without breaking your back - explains Francesco -. In this way it is certainly more time consuming, but the tractor that kills ladybugs is not used".
Ladybugs, yes. For those who do not know these romantic insects are among the most important allies of truly organic crops. In fact, they eat aphids, also called "plant lice": they are microscopic and black insects, the enemies of all farmers, who, in order to kill them and protect their seedlings, spread chemical fertilizers.
Francesco shows his ladybirds with love, photos of the metamorphosis from the larva.
"There is so much laziness among the growers that many of them, instead of giving up plowing and milling the earth with the tractor, even buy ladybugs" he says.
Walking through the rows of broad beans, freshly planted tomatoes, broccoli, peas, courgettes, salads, Francesco dreams, he imagines his life in that field, under the raw sun of Sicily that has already tanned him.
He has a clear vision, many projects: "Soon I will set up an association and organize educational workshops for children and various initiatives. I would like to buy a house on wheels, I can live here, it's not enough for me ".
Meanwhile, has already started a crowdfunding between friends and acquaintances to buy the first plants and trees: he planted mimosas, carobs, hazels, pomegranates, everything that helps to fix the necessary nutrients to the garden.
And, as soon as it will, olive trees will be planted and also avocados, mangoes and citrus fruit.
"The purpose of fundraising - he specifies - is to recreate the conditions for the development of an edible forest. Since the early years, what was an uncultivated land, will become a refuge for many species of insects and animals. The aim is to make visitors aware of a lifestyle that is closer to nature and its rhythms, waiting for others to take an interest in the project and then perhaps reproduce it in their own land ".
A reward equal to the value in products of the garden / forest will be paid to each supporter. For some (fruit, citrus, etc.), it will take at least 3 years, while vegetables are already available.
So far it has raised about 500 euros and each donor has hung a tag with his name on the tree to come.
The dream of a man, plus the power of sharing, represent a hope of the future for that young Sicily that has chosen to stay, to build despite the difficulties.
In the Italian wave of the return of young people to agriculture: 30,000 in the last year according to Coldiretti, a historic inversion of tendency that has not happened for years.
To contribute, click here or donate ETH: 0x84CE88Fa558E2a4304e6C3624A5EC3e639404839.
Find Francesco on Instagram: frankchezappa and on Facebook:Ortonatura.
Credits: b-hop.it