Tuscany organic farmstay near Florence, Italy

Environment

Wild Life
We encourage wild life animals to stay on our land : part of the crops are left for their sustainment and small pools are dug in dry season to give them water . Biodiversity is preserved and fertility is maintained since we cultivate the land according to the organic agriculture criteria.
Wild boars, dears, porcupines, foxes, hares come to visit us. Green wood pecker and jay fly around our olive trees, eagle flies high in the sky, at night you can hear the howl. You definitely have chances to meet them walking at night or early in the morning we also can tell you about habits and curiosities on wild animals.

Waste
In each kitchen of the house you will find baskets for garbage collection: one for plastic, glass, cans and tetra pack, one for organic waste, one for paper and one for the undifferentiated waste.
We use the compost made from the organic waste in the vegetable garden.
Towels are changed only on request. Soaps for personal hygiene are are all certified organic and offered in dispensers to eliminate the use of disposable products. All paper used in the farm is certified FSC- mixed .

Water
Rain water is collected from the roof house in two big underground tanks and used in the garden. The water distributed to the apartments comes from a well dug in the farm , is regularly purified and analyzed and it is under the control of an efficient system of distribution to limit waste.

Energy
We like to think that that is possible change for the better the production systems. It is possible to combine human activities with the respect for the environment.
We produces our own energy and hot water through solar and photovoltaic panels put on a wood canopy well inserted in the country context.
During winter our wood is burnt in a high efficiency heating that keeps all apartments warm.
Our apartments are equipped with a system of energy conservation: energy saving light bulbs; appliances in Class A; lights control device combined with the key of the apartment: once taken they all switch off automatically.

Buildings - The renovation of the house
Two principles were followed: on one hand we wanted to keep all the architectural elements typical of the Tuscan farmhouse and on the other we wanted to use only environmentally sustainable materials .
We made a real philological research on materials and on their use. The demolished materials were recycled and others were found at construction sites and markets, etc.
All new materials: wood, insulation, screeds, paints, are certified with one or more Eco-Labels/ environmentally friendly labels (FSC, PEFC, ICEA-ANAB, Naturplus, etc. ..), in order to have the certainty to be using materials with a real traceability and environmentally sustainable.

Transport
We encourage hosts to arrive by public transport since we can organize a pick up from and to the nearest train station/ bus stop.

Suppliers
We buy food that we do not produce from neighboring organic farms in order to help small producers like us and stimulate organic productions.

Community

Our owner is a member of a local Association whose main objective is to buy products at 0 km in order to give support to small and local producers (we call in Italy “Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale”). In collaboration with this Association workshops on arts and crafts are organized here, since we believe that producing things for ourselves is a lifestyle and an experience to do especially if it is also an opportunity for conviviality, meeting people and mutual enrichment. Guests are involved in these activities and invited to know local community: together we shall have fun in making bread with natural yeast, candles with natural wax, soaps with olive oil and small cloths in felt.

You will be helped to make your own visit to the region : we shall give you maps, material on day trip itineraries, recommend guides, but above all you will receive tips on places where to eat and to buy things out of the tourist circuit, where we usually go on free time or for shopping.