The organic biodynamic farm Il Cerreto is located in Tuscany, in an area with a rich natural heritage known as Val di Cecina, a short distance from places with an important history such as Pomarance and Volterra. The almost 500 hectares of cultivated land are in the countryside, but are embraced on one side by lush woods and on the other by the sea air, which is only 20 kilometres away.
Both the farm and the bio agriturismo Il Cerreto are run with genuine attention to sustainability. Cultivation is based on the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture, a choice that the owners made more than 20 years ago out of a deep sense of responsibility towards nature and life itself. Fruit, vegetables, but also cereals and legumes are just some of Il Cerreto's productions, all genuine quality raw materials that grow without the use of chemicals.
It was 1998 when we, Carlo and Paola, decided with conviction to turn our lives upside down. With three children and a bag full of dreams, we left the big city, abandoned the hectic pace of a noisy and inattentive Milan and moved to Val di Cecina, in beautiful Tuscany.
We arrived at Il Cerreto, a small hamlet purchased years earlier by Carlo's father, a dreamlike place where we could rediscover the true essence of ourselves and of life. It is in that space completely dominated by the forms of nature that we chose to shape our future and, with the desire to share the peace and harmony that this environment offers, we began to work to welcome guests in what would later become the bio agriturismo. Starting from the ancient tower of 1250 we renovated all the buildings following the principles of green building and in the meantime, together with two more children, organic certifications arrived for the first agricultural activities.
Today we continue to dream and to work by listening to and respecting the gentle voice of nature. Il Cerreto is increasingly committed to keeping this renewed oasis of biodiversity alive where the protagonist is the environment with all its forms of life.
Convinced of the existence of an essential link between the microcosm and the macrocosm, at Il Cerreto we work in synergy with all the forces of nature, following the principles of biodynamics, founded by Rudolf Steiner in the early twentieth century. The farm based on biodynamic agriculture techniques is considered a self-contained agricultural organism where all its inhabitants are interconnected by relationships that allow their mutual survival. The soil, crops, meadows, woods but also rivers, animals and humans: all interact with each other to create the harmony needed to keep the environment healthy, vital and productive.
The aim of biodynamic agriculture is therefore to always work in respect of the processes and times of nature, preserving the fertility of the soil and the health of the entire ecosystem. Chemical fertilisers and fertilisers are therefore abolished in favour of tools such as biodynamic preparations, crop rotations, composting and the lunar calendar, a method that enhances the characteristics of the food produced and guarantees excellent quality.
The biodynamic method also involves the social system and the territory, because the community that chooses to follow it bases its existence on the same principles of this philosophy. Among Steiner's teachings, in fact, one says that "a healthy social life is found only when, in the mirror of each soul, the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtues of each one live". For this reason we try to involve the staff that gravitates around the farm in this lifestyle, with meetings that bring people closer to biodynamic agriculture, but also with the help of team building exercises, so that our goals are better understood. Thus, with aligned thoughts, communication and satisfaction prevail. Working willingly always has as its final result a product made with love.
