In the previous pages you knew something about our story, our products and our services; our wish would be to improve them even more and also to improve our life.

2010 just started, I imagine the course of next years and how to face it: you are invited to read this part so that you will understand if you can take part of it, and in which way.

Guidelines:

1) Keeping and development of the agricultural activity

2) Costs cut and energy self- sufficiency

3) Eco-compatible mechanical proceed

4) Improvement of guests room and warehouses

5) Familiar/farm museum and farm didactics

6) Volunteer participation to our projects, to our life and to our job.

Keeping and development of the agricultural activity

Oil: some years we need to collocate the surplus production

Planning :

a) rationalization olive-grove plants

b) construction of little lake and drop irrigation system to avoid water stress during summer

c) cut of trimming and pick-up costs by buying appropriate machines

d) clientele increase

Spelt: raw material production is already much superior to the market request of packed product, but, on demand, it could also be increased.

Planning:

a) cut of cots for preparation of sowing soil.

b) Costs cut for sowing and harvest pick-up by buying appropriate machines

c) Increase of sale articles (pasta and other products made with spelt)

d) Increase of clientele for packed product

Durum Wheat : raw material production is already much superior to the market request of end product, and it must not be increased to avoid too high production costs.

Planning:

a) Cut of costs for preparation of sowing soil.

b) Cut of costs for sowing and harvest pick-up by buying appropriate machines

c) Increase of sale articles (other kinds of pasta and other products)

Barley: raw material production is already much superior to the market request of packed product, but, on demand, it could also be increased.

Planning:

a) Cut of costs for sowing and harvest pick-up by buying appropriate machines

b) Increase of sale articles (toasted barley)

c) Increase of clientele for packed product

Chick peas: raw material production is already much superior to the market request of packed product, but, on demand, it could also be increased.

Planning:

a) Cut of costs for preparation of sowing soil.

b) Cut of costs for sowing and harvest pick-up by buying appropriate machines

c) Increase of clientele for packed product

Lentils: production is not sufficient in comparison with market request, due to too scarce productivity and to the frequent unfavourable years. Production increase is uncertain.

Planning:

a) hectares increase of growing soil

b) cut of costs for preparation of sowing soil.

c) Cut of costs for sowing and harvest pick-up by buying appropriate machines

d) packed product increase

New cultivations: apart from the vegetable garden, that we leave at disposal of everybody who would like to deal with it, I do not think to introduce new cultivations at the moment, but it is considered very interesting the possibility to experiment the energetic use of the existing cultivations or of the specific ones.

Processing and packaging: commissioning this jobs to an external laboratories may result too expensive sometimes and causes loss of time, therefore it might be useful to have and internal laboratory for the simplest processing.

Organic Certification: we will try to keep it , even if bureaucracy becomes sometimes very unbearable.

Guests rooms and warehouses adjustment

Many of the existing equipments and tractors are now parked outside, running the risk of a quick deterioration, because the farm does not have a specific warehouse.

The storage of farm products is temporarily made in wheel-containers, because very easy to move, that would be impossible if they were in the rooms of the old buildings. By creating a big basement this problem could be solved.

As regards the reception, both of tourists and volunteers, some of the already renewed rooms, now used as warehouse, could become guest-rooms , simply by furnishing them and with an hygienic and sanitary adaptation.

The squares, already given for free for caravans and campers stops, could be equipped with facilities for lengthen stops and get the authorizations for agritouristic camping.

The ex cowsheds, which is now used as storage room, is very suitable for becoming a meeting point for volunteers, tourists or students on school trip or any other collective use

Costs cut and energy self- sufficiency

As far as Casa Barbi is concerned, it would be useful the creation of an external and under- roof caulk “overcoat”, as well as in the attic , with double windows instead of the existing ones, with no changes to the look.

The construction of a wall-glasshouse could be used both as protection and as for production of warm air.

Moreover we have to create a box for heat generation and build-up, containing one storage heater functioning with biomasses (wood, chipped wood, pellet, broken seeds) and a hot water accumulator.

The biomasses should come exclusively from farm production of dedicated cultivations,

The accumulator should be alimented also from a high efficiency solar collector.

At Montello, for the apartments and the warehouse made in the old barn, where it is not possible to make passive changes for the maintenance of the heath, it would be useful to create the same kind of box as for the other building , but with appropriate dimensions,

For the electric supplying I prefer an autonomous “Island” system, with energy accumulation that could be enough for the normal electrical need.

The existing system would remain, without any change, to face non programmed need increases.

Obviously we have to go on with the aim of energy saving, through the substitution of all household electrical appliances, tools and machinery, with the correspondent at low energy consumption.

For electrical power production we must integrate roof photovoltaic panels , and we should use the wind with a Savoinus generator, with low environmental impact, better if rollaway.

As an alternative, or as an integration , we have to create a system with Stirling engine, to generate electricity directly from the accumulation of high temperature coming from sun or biomasses.

If the system of production of natural power should be only one, we would need to join the two buildings with an undergrounded electrical cable .

It would be a pleasure for me to welcome people who would like to cooperate by helping at the creation of the systems,

also by testing other technologies, or who would like to show his own realizations in our farm.

Eco-compatible mechanization

The farm is equipped with a good quantity of efficient and modern machines, but still incomplete for the management of cultivation cycles. The quantity of tractors is sufficient and also the power is adequate, but some caterpillar tractors are obsolete.

The eco-compatibility of tractors can be obtained through the introduction of vegetable oil alimentation instead of diesel, but only our tractor Deutz Fahr can be easily modified with an already made kit supplied from the producer.

The eco-compatibility can be completed with the use of natural lubricant oils, but at present I am only informed about experimental applications.

Maybe it could be more convenient to skip directly into the world of new tractors and other machines with electrical engine, that solve completely these problems, and whose batteries could be alimented through the natural energetic system, to be created in the farm.

I will be waiting any suggestions from everybody who would like to give his contribute about information on this subject.

My son Jacopo, who studies mechanic, prefers to drive his attention to the improvement of the rendering of thermal engines.

Familiar/farm museum and farm didactics

During the years I saw carts, coulters, forage shredders, mowers, oxbows and other tools made of wood, no more in condition to be used, destroyed from the bad weather because there was not an appropriate place where to recover and protect them.

The loss of all these objects, of the few documents regarding my family of tenant farmers, made me feel the sense of loss of memories. For this reason I would like to find the way to save these things and make their lives go on by transmitting their meaning.

It would be necessary to organize a place where to show them, with a description of their functions and their history, in order to be visited from students and tourists.

In the same room also fossils or finds ”appeared” during my job in the fields should be protected and made them visitable. Or also in case of some future authorized excavations .

Volunteer participation to our plannings, our life and our job.

The choice, made since many years to go in direction of eco-compatibility in all activity branches, with huge attention to modernity and respect for traditions, makes us feel in line with the hopes of the most of community.

To help the spirit of our agritourists and supply healthy products to people give sense to our experience.

Going on in this direction absorbs all our energies and our economical sources, therefore all other investments necessary to go on will be only possible if we will get some external contributes.

Public contributes, when available, do not cover the entire amount of the projects.

I am asking to everybody who understands our course to take part to it and help us to continue.

Donation depends on what everyone has available, and could be of money (Bank: Monte Dei Paschi di Siena - Pienza Branch, Swift PASCITM1S81, IBAN IT26F0103071930000000369906), handwork or experience.

Foundations, associations or privates that would like to contribute with money can ask us a description of projects.

Who has the possibility to give us manual help should inform us about availability periods and possibly requirements.

While who thinks to supply us with his personal knowledge should tell us in which field he is expert and how he would like to help us .

If someone would like to give an object (piece of furniture, camper, tools etc.)or would like to barter it with a discount on overnight staying in agritourism or on our products, should send us a request by e-mail with pictures.

In our vegetable garden we have available flushable areas, that can be managed autonomously and freely, with organic method, from people who, coming from the town, would like to apply directly with cultivation, in the different year seasons, to bring home the products for self-use or to sell the surplus to the neighbours.

It is also very helpful for us to be informed about shops that are ready to by our packed products. Moreover a good help comes also from informing people about the possibility to come on holidays in our agritourism.