Experiences in Nature

All these productions require periodic operations: pruning, shredding, cleansing, soil nourishment, sowing and reaping mark our days in the different seasons.

All year long we share this work with students of all ages, social and entertainment centres, passionate adults and tourists passing by.

Sharing: a word that today can spontaneously be associated with the social networking; in fact, we use and we are also on social media, why not? They are a useful and constructive tool if well managed; but we also strongly believe in the real, tangible world and in a physical encounter between people who see and look at each other for a real exchange of something to share.

The herbs laboratory, the small olive cold-press, the winery, the wood oven, the laboratory for processing of vegetables and greens can be visited all year round and every season offers different opportunities of participation in the farming work.

We therefore share our way of life, bucolic experiences and our love for nature in all its manifestations. We like to read in the eyes of those who come to visit the village, the amazement, the pleasure of immersion, of abandonment in the wonderful landscape that surrounds us. A landscape that intimately speaks to us of other possible dimensions of life, more sustainable, simpler ones …!

Borgo Piazza also organizes themed events and opens its doors to all families…

One of our ways of sharing is the working-holiday exchange: for years, this system has allowed us to meet several people and cultures (coming also and above all from abroad) and thanks to them, at the end of the “journey”, we are all “richer ” and gratified.

We also have exchanges through the workaway.info site: read the experience of those who did it through their own words.

September: almonds and grape harvest for the production of juices and jams derived from the must

October: olive harvest, our Olive Experience and the local production of Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the Borgo.

December/March: Citrus harvest

January/March: pruning trees and vineyards

April/March: spring vegetable garden

In recent years, many people from different parts of the world have come to visit us, they have chosen us. Important friendships have aroused with some of them and lasted over time, with other ones maybe less, but everyone, everyone, has left us something. And the sincere smile on their face when they depart has always given us a great emotion. We remind you that we are obviously “open” also to local residents; in short, to anyone who wants to experience the psycho-physical benefits offered by shared work in Nature and by the associated exchange/meeting.

Our Working-Holiday Exchange projects have a variable duration: from a minimum of 2 weeks to 1/2 months. It depends on the period and on the mutual commitments. In exchange for help with agricultural work, or even if you want to experience the hospitality-restaurant work or the artistic-educational activities with children, we offer room and board in our comfortable apartments in the Borgo.

It has been widely argued that Nature contact and horticulture contributes to the success of psychosocial rehabilitation therapies. Here at Borgo Piazza we are strongly convinced of that and in November 2015 we started a partnership with rehabilitation projects of the AMA CALABRIA Association, in favour of mentally disabled people from the Day Recovery Center of Montepaone Lido – Provincial Health Service Authority of Catanzaro.
Again with AMA CALABRIA and in cooperation with the Paolo Ponterio Foundation and the voluntary association Don Pellicanò, the project “Youngs in the Country” can count on a piece of our land at disposal for olive growing, collecting and processing
and synergistic vegetable garden for natural horticulture lessons.

To the same Don Pellicanò Association, we have donated the availability of a thousand square meters of land which has been used since 2017 (with our help!) for the cultivation and harvesting of oregano. And it is thriving every year more and more! The proceeds from the sale are to support the association and its activities.

Besides, we have different and important collaborations with the local third sector in several projects related to agriculture and its enhancement. Projects in which we strongly believe and which always enrich us with new exchanges and new knowledge. And we are always ready to implement new ones. For example, we are planning an important permaculture workshop.

Contacts

Elvira Ponterio (didactic laboratories and officinal herbs) – Cell. +39 3497811695
Marco Marcello Ponterio (synergic vegetable garden – permaculture) – Cell.  +39 3925108591