Can you really drop everything and follow your passions in life? This man did it!

Paolo was an architect but one day he decided to follow his greatest passion in life: his dream was to set up an organic farm.

One day he gave up his job and he set up his own organic biodynamic farm called  “Terre del Sole”  in an area of extraordinary beauty like lake Garda.

Paolo Bebber is a very hearty and energetic man. I could feel his passion for life and the countryside, the air was almost vibrating with excitement! As you might well know I am full of admiration for people like him.

Paolo produces organic vegetables, wine and olive oil by following the principles of biodynamic agriculture which was invented by Steiner in 1927. By this principle you need to learn to observe the plants and understand what they need on a daily bases, like for instance if they are ill, if they need more water or if they are suffering in any way. Also you need to follow the cycles of the moon too.

He uses herbs like sage and horsetail which have natural antiseptic properties against fungi which would threaten the health of the plants.

Organic wine can be preserved with sulphites (like ordinary wines) although it is about half of what you will find in ordinary wine. But what do sulphites look like?

It is a white powder and it consumes the oxygen present in the wine so it will not degrade. This is why when you open a bottle of organic wine it tastes great on the first day and then its quality quickly deteriorates.

Red wine require less sulphites to last than white wine. This is because red grapes are fermented with their skins and they contain tannins which are chemical substances belonging to the family of polyphenols. They help in preserving the wine and affect its colour too.

Paolo also produces wine without any sulphites at all (yes it is possible). So what does he use instead? A natural product called nitrogen.

His 100% organic and vegan beetroot and onion (and other vegetables) spreads are delicious served on top of bread.

He also makes wine in terracotta amphore and lets the wine with the skins ferment in them. It is a very ancient method of producing wine known since the Roman times.

Paolo is very proud of his purple potatoes which are rich in polyphenols and have many properties including  anti-inflammatory antioxidant effects.

With these black beans he makes vegetarian burgers so he keeps meat consumption in his family to a minimum. Eating too much meat is never that good for your health and it is good to try different sources of proteins too.

Later we went to see his fields. The area around the lake is just so beautiful! A brisk walk in the morning was just what I needed to feel refreshed.

Paolo plants lots of sage for its antiseptic properties.

Biodiversity is very important when producing organic vegetables. The more varied the ecosystem the greater the resistance of the plants and the insects so that the plants can heal themselves and the soil can regenerate itself.

Paolo grows potatoes too and they must be so delicious with no chemicals added to grow them.

And there were some fruit trees too.

What a beautiful area indeed. I want to come back here soon!

Azienda agricola “Le Terre del Sole”

Via Floriani 31

38060 Pranzo (Tenno)

ITALY