One day Marco called me with an idea forming in his mind: what if young people with handicaps could experience life and work on a farm? He owned an agricultural operation near Latina, raising dairy cattle and buffalo, with land to cultivate and plenty of space for different activities.
The core idea was simple but powerful. He wanted to give people with varying intellectual, psychiatric, or physical difficulties a chance to show what they could do — capacities that society routinely underestimates and overlooks.
Marco proposed an experimental field project, to be called "Splende il Sole" (The Sun Shines). They would cultivate a vegetable garden and see directly whether this kind of work was possible. The idea captivated me. I offered to help.
The logistics took time. We had to prepare the house Marco provided, and talk with the families of the young people who would join us. It made sense to reach out through Fede e Luce. The parents' response, as usual, was one of complete support and trust.
When the day came, four of us boarded a train to Latina: Michela, Claudio, Valerio, and me. We were the first participants in this experiment. We felt like people heading off on vacation — excited and curious. We looked nothing like aspiring farmers.
The first day was about settling in and getting to know the place. We arranged the house and walked the property.
The second day we met Paolo, Pietro, and Alessio — young men from Latina whom Marco had contacted. Together we learned what lay ahead. The main task was preparing the soil for vegetable cultivation, working under the guidance of an experienced gardener. By the end of that first day, the group had formed a strong bond. In the work itself, I saw real collaboration and genuine commitment. During breaks, there were jokes and laughter.
I often paused to watch how everyone was doing — making sure people were comfortable and the work was suited to their abilities. It turned out to be an unnecessary worry. I never saw such understanding and respect for each person's pace. It was textbook teamwork. I think each person discovered they could do far more than they expected.
One episode stands out as worth telling, because it captures the atmosphere we created. One afternoon, after a lunch break, we were ready to return to the soil preparation with the gardener when the tractor broke down. For three hours we had nothing to do. The complaints came: "How much longer?" "Why don't we start?" Finally someone arrived and told us we couldn't work the field that afternoon. I pointed out it was nearly five o'clock, our usual quitting time. But one of our group asked: "What can we do? We're bored!"
The gardener and his assistant exchanged a look that seemed to say: "Are these people crazy?" Then one of them said: "Well, if you really want to work, there's another field out back that needs clearing of stones." Perfect. In a flash, all of us were bent over collecting rocks.
Some evenings were so exhausting that even clearing the table and washing dishes felt heavy. Then, mercifully, a rainy day came. We rested, recovered, and took a walk along the still-empty beach at Terracina. We had time to think quietly about how to welcome our friends from Rome, who were visiting the next day.
That break made me think about something: how the rhythms of nature align perfectly with human life and work. Yes, it brings fatigue. But it strips away stress. And there is nothing more satisfying.
Our farm experience kept one foot in modernity. When we returned to the house, hot water awaited us, quick meals, a comfortable bed. Yet the appeal of open-air work never faded. The dark earth under our hands. Sun that gave our skin a real, healthy glow. Wind in our hair. The constant song of birds, occasionally interrupted by Valerio's energetic singing. Good air. Ants visiting the kitchen. Snails taking all night to climb the door. So many small things.
The week flew by. We felt real satisfaction — the kind that comes when you are truly well.
The experiment was a clear success. The proof was in the faces on the last day: sad and discouraged as they asked, "When do we go back to work?"
Our friends from Latina will continue this work through the growing season, since they live nearby. This summer others may join them to experience the project firsthand.
If the vegetables sell well — onions, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, watermelons, melons, sage, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano — this experimental field could become a permanent operation.
Whether seasonal or not, this idea deserves to be CULTIVATED.
Laura Nardini, 2004
