All of our nature walks begin at our local train station called ‘Sieci’. You can take a regional train from the Central Train Station in Florence (called ‘Santa Maria Novella’) to Sieci.

Long walk: The longest walk we offer is 4 hours by foot, where we walk the ring Monteloro in the woods.

Medium walk: We offer a medium length walk in the woods which is a total of 3 hours.

Short walk: Our shortest walk is 40 minutes in length.

HAVE LUNCH ON THE FARM: FRESH, SEASONAL, ORGANIC FOODS

Visitors who come in the afternoon can choose from the following workshops depending on the season:

• basketmaking
• chair making
• aromatherapy and aromatic herbs
• preparing homemade pasta
• cheese making
• natural soap making
• constructing wooden bird houses
• art making with wild flowers
• photography
• watercolor painting of Tuscan landscapes

Participant minimum 10 people / maximum 20 people

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Last Sunday I went to visit a friend whom I had not seen for a few years. The last time we saw each other was at the wedding of a common friend but since that time, many things have changed.  When I last saw Lara, she was a beautiful young veterinarian (and still is of course) happily single and working as a researcher in Amsterdam. Without giving away too many details of her private life (but her love story is wonderful) at our friend’s marriage she met Antonio, who is now her current husband and the father of their child.  Antonio is also the owner of the land that hosts the farm Fattoria dell’Orto degli Ulivi. Today, Lara manages this farm with great determination, courage and strength! She’s a woman who seems to have an infinite supply of energy and patience!

I brought part of my family and a couple of friends with me to visit Lara at the farm. The welcome was warm, it was a real pleasure to find her. As she and her husband Antonio prepared lunch, we went for a walk around the farm and saw a multitude of flowers and animals, all the while enjoying a magnificent view. Native Tuscan species of plants and animals are bred and cultivated on the farm, such as a sheep called Pomarancina, olives, vineyards, Rosano and Londa peach, Pistoia cherries, red beans from Lucca, Regnano and Molino del Piano potatoes, walnuts, almonds, figs, lavender and honey.

When lunch hour arrived, we returned from our walk to sit at the table in the living room adjacent to the large kitchen of the farm’s villa. The central structure of the villa dates back to 1400, and the villa’s tower was built in 1220. The living room has the original stone floor and fireplace. In addition to offering lunches and dinners the farm can accommodate 10 overnight guests in rooms on the first and second floor furnished in a classic Tuscan style. Lara is not only a chef for us, she cooks for many of the farm guests who visit and her dishes are all homemade using organic ingredients grown on the farm, such as: pasta, spreads, tapenades, jams both sweet and savory, vegetables marinated in oil and vinegar, raveggiolo and ricotta made from sheep’s milk. Lara’s meals are all healthy and prepared with quality raw ingredients.

After a delicious lunch accompanied by good red wine, Antonio and Lara served us coffee and brandy in a characteristic corner of the farm.  We had the opportunity to play a nice game of volleyball with our kids in front of the house, and of course always in the company of hens and the rest of the farm animals. My friend and I also did some shopping as we browsed Lara’s vast collection of soaps and jams produced by the farm.”

Taken from the blog by Enrica Palandri

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The Fattoria dell’Orto degli Ulivi collaborates with the American singer-songwriter, guitarist and violinist, Lucia Comnes, from San Francisco, California, known for her mix of American, Irish, Folk and Rock music.

His new album  “Love Hope & Tyranny” consists of 13 original songs

You can see her music videos at  www.luciacomnes.com

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Schedule as follows

• Ore 10.00: Agriculture and Poetry: open-air farmers market with regional agricultural products for sale
• Ore 12.00: Presentation “Perceiving the heart through the hands” by the Reiki Teacher, Maria Basile
• Ore 14.00: Presentation by ARCA Association (Research of Cardiac Arrhythmia) and a practical demonstration of CPR by Croce Azzurra (Blue Cross) volunteers
• Ore 14.00: Green Workshops for children with the teacher Elena Torrini
• Ore 15.00: Truffle mushroom demonstration by the Tuscan Association of Truffles (Associazione Toscana Tartufi)
• Ore 15.30: Lezione aperta di YOGA: Open level YOGA lesson: yoga flow with the breath surrounded by nature, taught by Serena Falchetti, Namastè Yoga Center
• Ore 16.00: Whirling dance in the barn: Led by Cristina Fiorini from “51% danza” Dance School. Bagno sonoro Sound Healing: gongs, singing bowls, overtone singing and archaic sounds by Massimo Fabbrucci and Yasha Elisa.
• Ore 17.30: Presentation from Judith Massai, the President of The “I menestrelli del gusto e della poesia” (Association of Minstrels of Poetry & Good Taste), and the farm hosts, Antonio and Lara. Poetry reading and awards ceremony for poetry contestants.
• Ore 19.30: Cena del poeta con prodotti biologicamente biodinamici. Solo per gli associati.
  Per partecipare alla cena sarà necessario prenotarsi con almeno una settimana di anticipo, telefonando al Presidente Giuditta Massai al 340.5352298/339.16666110.

Special guest of the day:

Lucia Comnes – American singer-songwriter and poet from San Francisco (California)

Silvestro D’andrea – Tuscan Chef and Sculptor, famous for his burlesque sculptures created by carving and combining fruit and vegetables.  Using tomatoes, pumpkins and zucchini Sylvester produces unique and beautiful sculptures to be put on the table or garnish a dish. He is the son of 2 chefs and this is a family passion. Since childhood he spent many hours in the kitchen and with vegetable. «“I was curious about their forms – he says – “which are very evocative. I always liked to animate fruits and vegetables: observe a tomato and watch him smile, complete with eyes, mouth and hair.”».

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Participants of the workshop usually lie on a mat, with a blanket and pillow, in order to completely relax the body and access an altered state of consciousness.  This practice of deep listening is useful in the process of personal growth.

with Tashi Massimo Fabbrucci and Yashà Elisa Mammuccini

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You can have your goods to barter on straw bales and towels for the olive harvest.

FUN FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN WITH VARIOUS WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE DAY:

• Garden Workshop: collect seed pods in exchange for planting other vegetables.
• Yoga Workshop: take a yoga class in the olive grove in good company of the sheep in exchange for what you have brought to offer.
• Cooking Classes: learn the secrets of Tuscan cooking in exchange for raw materials and popular recipes of the territory.
• Earthworms Workshop: research and collect earthworms for using in the garden in exchange for a bag of humus
• Music Corner
• Poetry Corner
• Painting Workshop in exchange for materials such as canvas, brushes, colors etc..
• Macreamè Workshop in exchange for crochet hooks
• CARITAS Parish Sieci will barter in exchange of food products with a long shelf life
• Edible Herbs Workshop
• Household Wares Corner: items for house, clothes etc.
• Tuscan Products Corner
• Bioenergy Workshops (pranotherapy) … in exchange for a smile !!!

At 15.00 there will be the Science Workshop with Prof. Cristina Basso from the ARCA Association (Research for Cardiac Arrhythmia) entitled “The heart of your neighbor beats …help to make it beat”

Practical demonstrations from Blue Cross volunteers on cardiac massage as first aid.

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