{"id":52029,"date":"2023-08-07T11:51:38","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T09:51:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/?p=52029"},"modified":"2023-08-07T11:51:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-07T09:51:53","slug":"salento-green-piccapane-eco-friendly-farmhouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/salento-green-piccapane-eco-friendly-farmhouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Salento Green: discovering Piccapane Eco-Friendly Farmhouse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Salento<\/a><\/strong> is one of the most fascinating areas of the Italian peninsula. Sun, hospitality, and crystal-clear sea are just some of the characteristics that distinguish this area. Salento is also dotted with entrepreneurial realities that promote sustainability and tourism that respects nature<\/strong>, with a strong commitment to supporting the local community. To delve into the Apulian culture and tradition, between organic farming and eco-sustainability, let\u2019s set off to discover the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Giuseppe
Giuseppe Pellegrino and the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We interviewed Giuseppe Pellegrino<\/strong>, founder of Piccapane<\/strong>, who told us how this special project of organic farming and eco-friendly hospitality was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did the Piccapane Farmhouse come about?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The farm project<\/strong> was born with the idea of doing organic<\/strong> farming<\/strong>. I chose to change my life<\/a>, leave my managerial career in the city, to devote myself completely to nature<\/strong> and to the production of healthy foods that are good for both humans and the environment. From this project, the part of eco-sustainable hospitality<\/strong> and vegan catering was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Some
Eco-friendly and vegan hospitality at the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The seven rooms of the eco-B&B<\/strong> are furnished with natural materials and pay attention to water and energy saving, thanks to the solar thermal system to produce hot water, and the photovoltaic system to produce electricity from the sun power. The rich breakfast buffet allows guests to taste genuine products based on local and organic ingredients and freshly picked fruit. Tea, coffee, and cocoa are fair trade products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vegan
Biosteria<\/em> Piccapane<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Biosteria<\/em> can host up to 35 people and offers organic and zero km food, with vegan<\/strong> cuisine<\/strong> based on products harvested in the garden. Guests can taste our local<\/strong> wine<\/strong> without<\/strong> sulphites<\/strong> and refresh themselves with traditional Salento dishes, revisited in a vegan and green key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why vegan hospitality?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We decided to offer a vegan<\/strong> option<\/strong> because it is truly absurd that human beings consume more than half of the agricultural land to feed industrial animal farms. The excessive meat consumption<\/a>, as well as being harmful to the planet, is also harmful to humans. Therefore, we have a double<\/strong> paradox<\/strong>: we consume useful land that could feed many more people more efficiently. On the other hand, by eating all these animal proteins and fats, we get sick, and we become a cost to our society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Some
Some dishes of the vegan menu offered by the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is why we started cooking and preparing food using only vegetables<\/strong> (including cereals and legumes). We want to let people discover how to eat healthy and tasty every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as the garden<\/strong> is concerned, we only use manure, and no products deriving from animals such as leather, blood, or any other type of fertilizer of this type. We use macerated herbs such as nettle<\/strong>, and we are also experimenting with effective microorganisms, that is to say, good bacteria that help plants<\/strong> and ward off diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which are the other green initiatives you have adopted?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As for food, in addition to offering a vegan<\/strong> diet<\/strong>, we obviously offer all organic<\/strong> or km0<\/strong> food<\/strong>, deriving from our gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
Solar panels, photovoltaic and bikes at the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our structure is the result of a project of bio<\/strong>–architecture<\/strong> and, as I already said, it employs electricity<\/strong> from 100% renewable<\/strong> sources, as well as using low-consumption light bulbs and solar<\/strong> panels<\/strong> to heat the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Piccapane Farmhouse is accessible even without a car. Furthermore, we offer a bike<\/strong> rental<\/strong> service<\/strong> to visit the surrounding area with the wind in your hair and without polluting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the farm produce?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We do not give any type of treatment to our olive<\/strong> trees<\/strong>, not even biological ones, so we can define it as \u201csynergistic<\/strong> olive<\/strong> cultivation<\/strong>\u201d. The cut grass and the remains of pruning are left on the ground and thus generate fertile humus. This creates, in the long run, a natural balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Olive
The olives produced by the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here in the Piccapane Farmhouse, we produce<\/strong> table<\/strong> olives<\/strong>, extra virgin olive oil, some varieties of ancient cereals<\/strong>, such as Cappelli wheat, barley<\/strong> and a vegetable garden from which we take out some vegetables<\/strong> to make preserves, p\u00e2t\u00e9<\/strong>, aubergines<\/strong> in oil and another dozen products, as well as jams<\/strong> we make with seasonal fruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a CSA and how does it work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We are proud to have created the first CSA<\/strong> in Puglia. The CSA (acronym from English: Community Supported Agriculture) is a community that supports farmers. It is a long-term solidarity<\/strong> agreement<\/strong> between a group of consumers and the farm, thanks to which people undertake to collect a box<\/strong> of<\/strong> vegetables<\/strong> every week for a long period (six months or a year).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vegetables\"\/
Image via Canva Pro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By doing so, the farmhouse has the possibility to plant and cultivate knowing that the products will already be sold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the experiences offered in your \u201cMasseria Didattica\u201d?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the past three years, we have become an educational<\/strong> farm<\/strong>. We are especially dedicated to children<\/strong> because they are our only hope for a more sustainable future. So, we welcome visits from schools, organize summer camps and try to introduce children to rural<\/strong> life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
The “Masseria” of the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In our synergistic educational garden, children can, within two or three months, go from<\/strong> seed<\/strong> to seedling<\/strong> and perhaps even to fruits. We create many artistic works with plants, vegetable colours and workshops with aromatic<\/strong> herbs<\/strong> to create flavoured salts and flavoured vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The structure organizes yoga sessions with children<\/strong>, and we cook with them once a week. We pick vegetables and then we prepare meals, including homemade pasta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Some
Workshops for children at the Piccapane Farmhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We try to offer a different way of bringing children closer to the countryside, which is not simply to go on a tourist tour of a zoo but employs more active participation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The farmhouse also organizes workshops for adults<\/strong>: for example, bread<\/strong>–making<\/strong>, homemade pasta, or the creation of artisan soap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do your guests appreciate the most?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the years we have noticed that guests particularly appreciate the genuineness<\/strong> of who we are and what we do. In fact, we have no problem demonstrating how we work: few frills, no lawn, TV, and swimming pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Some<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ours is an idea of a sustainable<\/strong> farmhouse<\/strong>. We therefore hope that more and more guests want to immerse themselves in our philosophy and our lifestyle, coming to visit us for a weekend, to taste our cuisine and take a tour of the aromatic herb garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which green itineraries do you recommend in the surrounding area?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Punta
Punta Palascia lighthouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We want to propose slow<\/strong> itineraries<\/strong>, easily reachable and that can be covered entirely on<\/strong> foot<\/strong> or with the bicycle<\/strong> that we make available as a structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some examples are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n