Arable Farming
Wheat field. Avanella, october 2004
The clearest consequence of the move to organic farming appears in arable crop rotation. Until 1999 seeding choices were influenced mainly by European Community subsidies: durum wheat alternating with rape or sunflowers. Since 2000, however, the main issue has been reconstituting and maintaining the soil's natural fertility. Although the Estate does not rear any livestock, we returned to large-scale growing of legumes which was widespread until the 60s, when every share-cropping family still had two or more pairs of cattle to work the fields. Clover, lucerne, sulla and field beans have the property of fixing atmospheric nitrogen, which the crop residues then release into the soil, ready for next year's wheat or barley crop.
| VARIETIES | AREA | PRODUCE |
| Egyptian clover | 9 ettari | organic hay (first mowing) selected seed (threshed second mowing) |
| lucerne | 25 hectares | organic hay (first mowing) selected seed (threshed second mowing) |
| field beans | 18 hectares | animal feed |
| flax seed | 4,5 hectares | seed for oil |
| durum wheat | 17 hectares | pasta production |
| common wheat | 12 hectares | bread-making |
| spelt | 12 hectares | pasta production |
| barley | 7 hectares | animal feed |
Only eight years have passed since we left the mainstream of conventional farming. After overcoming the inevitable hard times during the early phases of the transition, we have achieved production results similar to those of the 90s without using petroleum-based fertilisers or sophisticated weedkillers. We have also found a way of continuing with the traditional methods used to farm this land over the centuries.
We still have far to go to consolidate our ability to derive value from sustainable farming.
| © 2010 Majnoni Guicciardini - Vico d'Elsa - FI |