A Tuscan Harvest with Organic Gardening

In April 2011, Ethne Clarke will have been the EIC of Organic Gardening for 23 months. In that time she has taken the seventy-year-old publication from venerable to leading edge with a complete redesign, new vision and voice. Organic Gardening, the cornerstone of the Rodale publishing empire, introduced the concept of eco-friendly living and holistic health through gardening to America; Maria Rodale, granddaughter of the founder, engaged Clarke to revitalize the brand and bring it and the organic platform into the mainstream of American magazine publishing. In 2010, the magazine was recognized by MIN awards as the best magazine redesign of the year, and also awarded it finalist recognition for best cover design and best Q&A article for an interview with Michael Pollan.

An American by birth, Clarke lived for 30 years in England where she established her career as an editor and author of some 15 books on garden design and landscape history. Her publishers ranged from Weidenfeld & Nicolson to Alfred Knopf, and her “transatlantic voice” has helped gardening and design cross the pond – in the both directions. “Hidcote, the making of a Garden,” recently published by W.W. Norton, is a new edition of the original volume published in 1986 in the UK by Michael Joseph. That book was the first to be published about the making of the garden, which was itself the first to be taken on by the National Trust and which is recognized as having set the style for 20th century English garden design. Clarke’s book is based on her original biographical research on the garden’s creator, the American expatriate, Lawrence Johnston, whose family was one of the founding families of New York.

As an expatriate, Clarke has always been fascinated by the Anglo-American cultural exchange. She was a speaker and contributing writer for The Mount’s inaugural design seminar addressing Edith Wharton’s contribution to garden design. Her MPhil, awarded in 2000, was for her work on the biography of Cecil Pinsent, the English architect of choice for the Anglo-American expat community in Tuscany at the turn of 20th century. His client list included Bernhard and Mary Berenson, Charles Augustus Strong, and Iris Origo, whose father was the American diplomat, Bayard Cutting, a member of one of “old” New York’s first families. Clarke’s dissertation on Cecil Pinsent is due to be published soon by W.W. Norton

While Ethne Clarke’s contribution to the understanding of Anglo-American garden design and history is notable; her work at Organic Gardening continues to intrigue.

Alessandro has a vast experience of international garden restoration and design. He graduated with a degree in Horticulture from the National Horticultural Institute of Florence. When not leading Walks for The Wayfarers, Alessandro continues his work as a garden designer and consultant to many historic villas and estates   in Tuscany and across Europe and the United States. He has recently published his autobiography "The Garden Connection - Life and Adventures of a Tuscan Gardener".

We gather in Florence and rendezvous at the Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti.  After a Welcome Meeting we enjoy dinner at La Raccolta, an organic restaurant in town.

We visit La Fierucola in Florence, and Piazza Santo Spirito. For centuries, once a year in September, a Fierucola, a traditional agricultural fair was held in town by the farmers coming down the hills around Florence to sell their products. In early 1800, with the industralization era, villagers decided not to have this Fierucola anymore. In 1984 with the renewal of an interest in returning to the wisdom of the old traditions, a small group of organic farmers decided to have it back in order to fight back the modern, industralized kind of agriculture and spread the love of the rural origins. 

We lunch in a local restaurant in Florence and have the chance of a guided walking tour of the town in the afternoon. Tonight we enjoy a traditional meal at Sasso di Dante.

We visit Castello di Rampolla. The farm, owned by the Napoli Rampolla family since 1739 is located near Panzano in Chianti, in one of the best areas devoted to wine  production. The wine production at Rampolla started in 1975 and from 1994 biodynamic procedures are followed by Maurizia and her brother Luca di Napoli Rampolla. The harvest is done by hand from mid-September to mid-October, picking only the best grape. Aging is done in wooden barrels and in terracotta vases.  Lunch at Ciaccia Buratta in Antella, a small restaurant in a village outside Florence which specializes in local products.

This afteroon we trave to Podere Il Poggiolino, a small farm on the hills about 18 Miles south of Florence. The area is a mix of wood and terraced fields where olives, grape, cereals and fruit trees are grown. Organic since 1979, the farm produces olive oil, wine, jam, juices and sauces all certified by the Italian Organic Agriculture Association (AIAB)  since 1988.  

Tonight, we dine in a delightful trattoria in Florence.

This moring we have a cooking class followed by lunch.  We travel to Zia Emilia, a small, family run, trattoria on the hills near Florence. It's a place where locals go to appreciate typical Tuscan cuisine. We'll be preparing some traditional recipes with Emilia, owner and chef, learning how to use very simple and tasty, ingredients wich are the characteristic of the food in this region.

After lunch we go to Il Palagio. Nine years ago, Trudy Styler and husband Sting discovered and fell in love with Il Palagio, a 16th Century estate.  They re-instated the estate's tradition of bottling olive oil, honey and other Tuscan foods.   Modern organic growing methods have been combined with centuries of Tuscan farming, tradition to make the very most of the abundant natural ingredients. We tour the estate and have the chance to purchase produce - 10% of profits go to environmental charities Trudy and Sting support. 

We return to Florence for dinner our last night there.

We say Farewell to Florence and head for Poggio Alloro, a farm featured on the Dec/Jan 2010-11 issue of Organic Gardening. The Poggio Alloro farm, situated in the hills of San Gimignano, has been owned by Umberto, Amico and Bernardo Fioroni, since 1971.   Skilled workers and lovers of the land for generations, they succeeded in applying their knowledge and devoting all their efforts to the cultivation of the farm’s 100 hectares of land. This land is now occupied by vineyards and olive groves, cereal crops and pastures for the farm’s animals, and the products made are still characterised by all the quality of days gone by. 

After lunch at Poggio Alloro we have the option of a gentle walk to San Gimignano, or alternatively a bus ride there and free time. 

We arrive at Agriturismo Il Rigo, our home for the next three nights, in good time for dinner.

We head for Podere Il Casale, located in the Val d'Orcia, an area south of Siena with breathtaking views of the valley, hills and the Amiata mountain. In its 61 hectares (170 acres) of land there are forests, fields, olive orchards, vineyards, sheep and goats for milk and a small pig sty. These ventures have laid the foundation for this organic farm since its inception in 1991. Here we'll be shown the making of cheese, using the farm's own-produced milk, and have a delicious organic meal for lunch.

This aftertoon there is another option to walk to Pienza, or to drive and use the extra time for shopping and independent sightseeing.  We return for Dinner and overnight at Il Rigo.

 In the famous area of Montalcino, we visit San Polino, a family-run farm that uses permaculture and biodynamic-organic farming to produce a premium Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino and olive oil. We enjoy the farm's beautiful and tranquil surroundings of a wilderness of mediterranean woods and shrubland.  After lunch at San Polino we pay a visit to the picturesque mountain top town of Montalcino.

We return for our Farewell Dinner and last night at Il Rigo 

We say Arrivedierchi with a transfer for departures from Siena.