Cortona – Torrita, Feb. 6, 2024

Against the backdrop of SeminaSiepi, a project of the Working Group on Ecological Custody of Lands adopted by WWOOF Italy, one of the events planned for these first months of the year took place that aim to create hedges, (non-productive spaces, linear habitats) in WWOOF Italy farms, especially in those with little natural diversity, in order to restore natural systems within agricultural systems and thus promote biodiversity; this done in the simplest way possible: by taking plants and seeds offered by the local nature.

With this aspiration some 15 volunteers gathered on the morning of Feb. 6 in Cortona; the group moved to Dino’s and Marcella’s neighboring farms, both located in the hills below Cortona and whose main crop is olives. We observed the small plants that grow spontaneously here and evaluated, under the guidance of Massimiliano Petrolo (naturalist and environmental guide) which ones could be used for the creation of a hedge on Sara’s farm, located instead in the plains of the Val di Chiana, in the municipality of Torrita di Siena. Sara has a farm and grows mainly grains; the fields are very large with few elements of “nature,” and the hedge will be planted along the edge of one of these fields.

Plants were chosen so as to create as mixed a hedge (shrubby and tree-like) as possible; the chosen ones were uprooted with simple tools such as spade, hoe, and spade fork, and placed in boxes and plastic bags ready to be transported.

After a shared lunch, we moved to Sara’s; here we recovered other woody species that propagate by cuttings and, by digging small holes, planted in 180 linear meters, 150 seedlings.

The species that make up the hedge are: oaks (holm oak, downy oak, and turkey oak), laurel, butcher’s broom, sage-leaf cistus, wild pear, blackthorn, viburnum, wild asparagus, broom, phillyrea, privet, field maple, rosemary, elderberry, willow, rose hip, cultivated rose, and sage.

Having straw available, we spread a layer of mulch on it and drew water for watering from the nearby reclamation canal. And there goes the job! Of course the hedge is not there yet, we have laid the foundation and now we have to hope that the seedlings will take root and the rain will fall, it will be interesting to see the progress. Anyway, today we celebrate our commitment satisfactorily and end the day enjoying each other’s company and good food.