I had just arrived back in Italy after spending one month at home to celebrate my 30th birthday. On the cusp of officially embarking on this journey to set up Vera Italia, it was time to ‘get out there’ and begin working with locals to secure the Culture Creators.
Amici, I believe that when you’re on to a good thing, just when you’re about to take a solid step, there’s bound to be a hurdle to deter you. The secret and the magic lies within overcoming the hurdle, trusting in the greater plan and looking at it from the other side when you’ve managed to take one more step.
Let me paint the picture, I had just returned from my comfort zone and was about to officially step out into the unknown, up until this point it had all been planning and chipping away on the set-up.
I woke up the next morning after a 30-hour trip and was on a video call to my incredibly supportive and loving parents, sobbing away, asking what on earth was I doing being away from them and all of the love that surrounds me in Australia. I missed them and the comfort dearly.
Then my phone rings. It was Manuel, my good friend and the Vera Italia videomaker. He said, "Chiara, I’m coming to pick you up!” I said goodnight to Mum and Dad, pulled myself together and got ready.
As I climbed the stairs, Manuel was there ready to go with his bright yellow car. Just seeing this car would brighten up your mood and as soon as you hopped in, you knew you were in for an adventure.
I often say that Manuel was truly an angel that day. We first went to meet his Nonna, the most adorable petite lady who has a heart of gold. He said, "I thought you’d be missing your family so I thought you’d appreciate coming to visit Nonna (and boy did I!)”.
Then after a coffee with some dear friends of ours, we went to visit Luciano…
Nestled away in a quaint valley where the mountains embrace the vast land that spans out to the sea, there you will find KALAB - an acronym for Calabrian Agricultural Lab, an agricultural company and producer of local fruit, vegetables and chillies!
It was Springtime so the fruit was in bloom and while strolling around the impressive fields adorned by trees, plants and shrubs that all produced some sort of produce, we snacked away as Luciano gave us a tour and invited us to try the seasonal fruits of his labour that were ripe and ready to be picked.
Luciano is a young Calabrese who chose to remain in his homeland and continue four generations of farming. Plus, his young son Davide at five years old, is already showing interest in continuing this farming legacy.
When you think of a farmer, perhaps you think of a ‘simple life’: land, crops and produce. Amici, I have to tell you, Luciano is one of the most interesting and inspirational entrepreneurs that you may ever meet.
On the surface level you see an extremely hard-working young man who spends his days in the fields ploughing, planting and picking the fruits of his hard labour under the scouring sun of Italy’s south.
Dig a little deeper and the moment he begins sharing his ideas, his vision and his perspective on how to achieve that, you realise that in front of you stands a highly-educated, incredibly intelligent and brilliant mind.
In today’s day and age, perhaps working on the land may not be as highly regarded compared to other professions but if you think about it, working the land is probably one of the most important jobs there is - providing sustenance and feeding an entire population!
If that’s not enough, this giovane (young man) has taken his family legacy a step further, creating a brand for himself and a truly unique offer. Calabria is well-known for its spicy flair on certain delicacies and one of the most typical varieties of chilli peppers grown in the region is the Diavolicchio Diamante.
Every year, the town of Diamante has a chilli festival that features every type of chilli you can think of and is frequented by chilli-lovers from all over the world. Luciano is a horticulturalist to every effect and has taken this to another level.
Visiting Luciano will not only immerse you in the agricultural tradition of the south, but you also have the chance to browse through a seriously impressive variety of chillies including some of the most spiciest in all the world. It’s truly remarkable!
Working with Luciano has been one of the biggest highlights of my journey because every time you see him, he always greets you with a smile, with a laugh and he is always up for a chat about big ideas that are really exciting.
I hope you get to meet them so you can experience their love, passion and dedication to the land and the beauty that brings when you share a moment with them. Check out his experiences at Vera Italia to pick some insight from his land of genius!
The first time I visited KALAB, I was like Alice in Wonderland — as my friends put it. Despite having had a rough start to the morning, being immersed in nature, surrounded by this land that was producing amazing fruits wherever you laid your eyes, it was truly soothing for the soul.
One of my highlights was when we stumbled across a row of raspberries. Luciano said, "Try one!” My eyes widened with excitement! I delicately picked one off the vine and oh my goodness!
He laughed at my reaction and said, "Yep, it doesn’t get much fresher than that! The only way it would be fresher is if you put your mouth up to the plant and ate it straight from the plant!”
Thank you for listening to my story and travel escapades that have led me to realising this big beautiful dream of sharing the traditions of humble Culture Creators in the beautiful region of northern Calabria.
Come visit!
