Hello lavender!

In a sea of lavender, I would like to take strokes of wonder.

(Fabrizio Caramagna)

Lavender is currently one of the undisputed stars here in Stella di Lemmen. It is in full bloom and offers its best in every sense of the word - beautiful, colorful, fragrant. It appears to us everywhere gently and discreetly, dressed in its various hues and shades: from white to pink, from lilac to purple to deep blue.

Pollinating insects adore it: bees in the lead, visiting it already early in the morning, but also bumblebees, staying until late in the evening! Those who approach a bush are immersed in a vibrant, unison buzzing...which is not at all dangerous. The insects are busy exclusively foraging and, if disturbed, simply change flower.

Lavender is a Mediterranean scrub bush that usually remains around a meter in diameter or so. On bare mountain slopes it reaches up to 1,400 meters above sea level, with smaller specimens that develop even more vivid colors.

It has about 30 species, some of them native to Italy such as Spica, Vera, Latifolia, Dentata and Stoechas. The latter, an elegant variety with showy insect wing-like bracts at the head of the flower, is the most fragrant and re-blooming of all.

All these species and many others are present on our farm, scattered everywhere and actively participating in the biodiversity and beauty of the entire agricultural organism; they are a even more exceptional presence as the plants are at ease in poor and stony soils and, once started, do not need a single drop of water except that which is bestowed by the sky!

Wherever they are found, with their hues and intense fragrance they bring joy, awe and serenity...until harvest time comes, usually in late July. We are almost there! The most suitable varieties will be stripped of their spiky inflorescences, which we will distill to extract the precious essence.

Already the ancient Egyptians employed lavender essential oil because of its antiseptic properties, while the Romans added it to bath water to perfume, but also to purify themselves and "wash" themselves of diseases - hence its name.

At Stella di Lemmen it will accompany us and comfort us throughout the winter: as a room fragrance, for a temple massage in case of headaches, in herbal teas and in the preparation of delicious Christmas cookies. It will also serve to ward off insects and protect our clothing in the closets as well as, at all times, bestow its unmistakable aroma upon us.

By transforming the light, lavender elaborates its healing, calming and relaxing power, which brings benefits in anxious states or nervous disorders, soothes the soul and conciliates sleep. Even its color says so: a true gift from heaven!

Ciao lavanda!

“In un mare di lavanda vorrei fare bracciate di meraviglia.”

(Fabrizio Caramagna)

La lavanda al momento è una delle indiscusse protagoniste qui a Stella di Lemmen. È nel pieno della fioritura ed offre il meglio di sé in tutti sensi - bella, colorata, profumata. Ci appare in ogni dove con gentilezza e discrezione, vestita delle sue diverse tinte e sfumature: dal bianco al rosa, dal lilla al viola fino al blu intenso.

Piace, - ah come piace! - agli insetti impollinatori: le api in testa, che la visitano già di prima mattina, ma anche i bombi, che rimangono fino a tarda sera! Chi si avvicina ad un cespuglio si immerge in un vibrante, unisono ronzio…per nulla pericoloso. Gli insetti sono occupati esclusivamente a bottinare e, se vengono disturbati, si limitano a cambiare fiore.

La lavanda è un cespuglio della macchia mediterranea che solitamente rimane intorno al metro di diametro o poco più. Sugli scarni declivi montani si spinge fino ai 1.400 metri di altitudine, con esemplari più piccoli che sviluppano colori ancora più vivaci.

Conta una trentina circa di specie, alcune delle quali originarie dell'Italia come la Spica, la Vera, la Latifolia, la Dentata e la Stoechas. Quest'ultima, elegante varietà dalle vistose brattee simili ad ali di insetto in capo al fiore, è la più profumata e rifiorente in assoluto.

Tutte queste specie e molte altre sono presenti nella nostra azienda, sparse in ogni dove e attivamente partecipi alla biodiversità e alla bellezza dell'intero organismo agricolo; ancor più eccezionale presenza in quanto le piante sono a loro agio anche in terreni poveri e sassosi e, una volta avviate, non necessitano di una sola goccia d'acqua se non quella elargita dal cielo!

Ovunque si trovino, con le loro tinte ed il loro profumo intenso apportano gioia, stupore e serenità...fin quando giunge l'epoca della raccolta, solitamente a fine luglio. Ci siamo quasi! Le varietà più adatte verranno private delle loro infiorescenze a spiga, che distilleremo per ricavarne la preziosa essenza.

Già gli antichi Egizi impiegavano l'olio essenziale di lavanda per via delle sue proprietà antisettiche, mentre i Romani lo aggiungevano all'acqua del bagno per profumarsi, ma anche per purificarsi e "lavarsi" dalle malattie - da qui il suo nome.

A Stella di Lemmen ci accompagnerà e conforterà durante tutto l'inverno: come aroma d'ambiente, per un massaggio alle tempie in caso di mal di testa, nelle tisane e nella preparazione di deliziosi biscotti natalizi. Servirà inoltre ad allontanare gli insetti e a proteggere i nostri indumenti negli armadi oltre che, in ogni momento, ad elargire il suo inconfondibile aroma.

Trasformando la luce, la lavanda elabora il suo potere curativo, calmante e rilassante, che arreca benefici negli stati ansiosi o nei disturbi nervosi, rasserena l’animo e concilia il sonno. Lo dice anche il suo colore: un vero dono del cielo!

Are you acquainted with biodynamic farming? Keep in mind, that it should be practised according to Brisbane's subtropical climate and alluding to its core principles.

POLYFACE FARM: THE TRUTH ABOUT BIOSUSTAINABILITY

In the face of unprecedented attacks from the industrial farming complex, Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm has exposed the truth about biosustainable farming. Del dives in for a day working on the non-industrial, self-sustaining farm and ranch as Joel Salatin, one of the premier experts on Biodynamic farming, explains how he turned a third generation family property into one of the most environmentally friendly working farms in the U.S.

https://thehighwire.com/videos/polyface-farm-the-truth-about-biosustainability/

Tonight we are excited to welcome @radicleherbs to the show! Tune in 8p pst anyone can stream live online ksco.com and zbsradio.com. Listen locally on AM 1080 & FM 104.1 Blaire is from Venice Beach CA, and went to Otis art school. Becoming aware of the way textiles are produced she became interested in agriculture getting her start on a Biodynamic Farm on the island of Maui. This experience forever changed her life and solidified her down the path of agriculture. She then apprenticed on a Biodynamic Farm in Sacramento, Raphael Gardens, located at what was then, Rudolf Steiner College. After this apprenticeship she wanted to try farming on her own and landed in Covelo. Daniel is from Massachusetts and also started farming in Hawaii, landing a job on a lettuce farm on the Big Island. Returning to the mainland he volunteered on a few different farms in the Eugene OR area before starting an apprenticeship at Live Power Community Farm, a horse powered Biodynamic vegetable CSA located in Covelo. Their paths came together when they met at the farmers market in Covelo and from here they embarked on an agricultural endeavour together, getting married and starting a family. With the help of Blaires parents they now are responsible for 60 acres consisting of hay fields, a woodlot, and about 2 acres under cultivation of vegetables and cannabis production. In 2018 they won the Regenerative Farm Award at the Emerald Cup with two other farms. They are currently Sun + Earth and Dragonfly Earth Medicine Certified. They had recently dropped their Demeter certification due to extensive paperwork and financial restraints but still very much practice Biodynamics. This year they will be featured in a documentary featuring two other farms (Greensource Gardens and Briceland Forest Farm). The film is a journey through a year in the life of these three family farms cultivating cannabis, food and community in the pursuit of a regenerative future. #biodynamicfarming #dempure #covelo #regenerativeagriculture #community #family #earthchurch #tendingthegarden #love #diversity #thecannabisconnectionshow #growth #wellness #cosmos #spirituality #cannabis #produce #farm #smileygreen (at KSCO AM 1080 Santa Cruz) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce7e297rcAU/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Have you ever wondered what lemberger is and how it tastes? Well, here is your chance to try, this Sunday we are hosting a German tasting with the wonderful @andrea_abswine from @abswines There will be four different styles of Riesling as we are in the midst of @31daysofgermanriesling along some wonderful Spatburgunder alongside the above named lemberger. All this for 25£ per person, head over to our website for tickets, it’s definitely one not to miss. #germanwine #spätburgunder #kabinett #auslese #mosel #baden #badenwürttemberg #rheinhessen #organicwine #biodynamicfarming #biodynamicwine — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/iCLnzQb

Cow heaven at the moment. #cow #heaven #clover #central #dairyfarming #australianbiodynamicfarming #biodynamicfarming #demeter #farm #countryliving #countrylife #rurallife #rural_love #biodynamicmilk (at Merrigum, Victoria, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4I_PS2AMvp/?igshid=4y7rwc0zwql4

{ #notillgardening } || source: ajwildwayfarm

#Repost @miqueltorresm ・・・ Ahora que las uvas estan todavía verdes... nuestras ovejas nos ayudan a deshojar las cepas de esta parcela de Mas la Plana para mejorar la aireación de los racimos. ——————————————————— Now that the grapes are still green...our sheep help us to deleaf this parcel of the Mas la Plana Vineyard to improve the air flow in the grapes. ——————————————————- Ara que encara els raïms estan verds ...les nostres ovelles ens ajuden a despampolar els ceps d’aquesta parel.la de Mas la Plana per millorar l’aireació del raïm. ——————————————————- #familiatorres1870 #familiatorreswines #dopenedès #dopenedes #enoturismepenedès #enoturismepenedes #maslaplana #biodynamicfarming (at Mas La Plana) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCKQJUJJzzD/?igshid=19engmyu8qaxv

The lamb insisted @apricotlanefarms #regenerativeagriculture #biodynamicfarming #regenag #lamb #lambselfie (at Moorpark, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fzAbHFfP4/?igshid=1intw8gn9vfd6

Sciacchetrà

In the vineyard we selected the most suitable bunches, those with the most sparse berries, of the Bosco, above all, and Vermentino varieties, which will create our #Sciacchetrà. 🥂

To choose the harvest period we were very careful about the acidity of the grapes, which will balance their increasing sweetness during dehydration. 🍇

We then spread the clusters on the trellises, this year also hanging them from chains.

We let the wind and sun work on the grapes for almost two months. In addition to the dehydration process, endogenous enzymatic processes in the grapes themselves contributed to their complexity. 🌞 💨

On the first days of November, the grapes were taken off the trellises and de-stemmed by hand. 🖐

So #inspired by these #local #regenerativeagriculture #practitioners at this #naturalfarming study camp… shared with us #permaculture & #biodynamicfarming knowledge with an #oriental twist!

#china #Hangzhou #qianhaohu #tao #inspiring #asia #打通任督二脈了 (at Qiandaohu, Zhejiang, China) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvlK2YThywA/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wsf6mo9dthre

Very special show this evening!Tune in 8p live stream online ksco.com & zbsradio.com AM 1080 & FM 104.1 in #santacruz Jesse Dodd is the creator of Biovortex, a living conceptual art piece with the goal of influencing the cannabis industry in the direction of a profitable and environmentally regenerative future. @biovortex La Osa a.k.a. Claire Weissbluth is a documentary filmmaker interested in telling the stories of farmers and laborers across the food system. @la_osa Their film "Tending the Garden" is a journey through a year in the life of three family farms cultivating cannabis, food and community in the pursuit of a regenerative future. #family #art #creation #community #biodynamicfarming #agriculture #regenerativeagriculture #diversity #soil #earthchurch #film #postproduction #lovegrowshere #smileygreen #thecannabisconnectionshow #cannabistalkradio #cannabis (at KSCO AM 1080 Santa Cruz) https://www.instagram.com/p/CepivEsLnGy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Fresh. #smallfarms #biodynamicfarming #eatlocal

Green Market Festival @slowfoodroma super magnificent biodynamic produce grown by Assunta and Giovanni Bernabei near Frosinone..thanks for the intro @ssaralevi (prepping for her collab dinner with @erbabrusca) I bought wild greens which I ate raw, and prepared a simple and delish dish of broccoli romano w/ potatoes, garlic, chili, lots of olive oil and pecorino even without pasta that combo rocks my world. Plus the fig gelato and fresh sheeps milk cheese from @biolalattecrudo - there was a free range egg farm @gallinefelici serving fresh zabaglione as well. Super Sunday supporting biodynamic farmers and producers of local foods #rome #italianfood #italianfarmers #biodynamicfarming #romeitaly #farmersmarket #slowfooditalia #slowfoodrome #mercatotestaccio #greenmarket #travelerstorytellerchef #craveitalia #gallinefelice (at Collettivo Gastronomico Testaccio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbntH2-D86A/?utm_medium=tumblr