Spring 2013

Il Pennato
Volume 12, Issue 1
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SPANNOCCHIA INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
SPANNOCCHIA
Spring 2013
Volume 12, Issue 1
Il Pennato
Table of Contents
Patch Ronald
2
Steve Waldman
6
Suzette Turner
9
Lea Ligat
10
Susanna McKibben
12
Cully Eisner-Terrill
14
The end
15
Spring Awakening!
by Jessica Haden, Education Director
I don’t think there could have been any other eight individuals more suited to break me into my new role as
Education Director. The Spring 2013 Intern group was inspiring, fun, respectful, and united – they
performed their tasks with smiles (and "cacaws!"), made time for planning and executing extravagant feasts
(and what glorious occasions those were!), and loved each other and Spannocchia wholeheartedly.
And what a delightful Spring it was - even if the cold stuck around a little longer than we would have liked,
there was still time for soaking up the sun at the beach in Castiglione della Pescaia and trips to the river. This
spring we chased runaway pigs, celebrated the birth of many piglets and a couple of calves, learned about
edible wild herbs with Daniela, and Steve even got a baby donkey named after him when he saved the
newborn from drowning!
It was a truly difficult goodbye when it came time to say farewell to this group (something the departing
Education Director Katie warned me about...) and I would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to Cully, Gideon,
Steve, Christine, Patch, Lea, Suzette and Susanna, you were the best first intern group an Education Director
could ask for!
Grazie mille!
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What just happened?? I blacked out…
By Patch Ronald
It was 11:30 PM on July 2nd. I had been home from Spannocchia for about a month.
My sister Jules, a former Spannocchia intern, was in town for the upcoming
holiday. We celebrated the occasion in true Ronald fashion, with brewskies and
Season 2 of Lost on DVD. Life was good.
As soon as I sat down, I immediately craved a cheese plate,
preferably of the Claudio & Maddalena pecorino variety. I had to
settle for a nub of manchego, which was just enough to satisfy
the craving. I flopped down on the couch a happy man:
chocolate stout, manchego, Lost, and family.
And then, without hesitation, I did what all Spring 2013 interns
would undoubtedly do. I took a huge bite out of the cheese. No
knife. No breaking off a piece. I just took a big bite. No big deal,
or so I thought. Jules, however, was not amused, and a bit
disgusted. Her less than enthusiastic reaction was almost as
shocking as her refusal of a bite of manchego.
I have obviously had countless “We are not at Spannocchia anymore” moments
over the past months, but this one hit me hard. Not quite as hard as Suzette’s head
hit Clark the Forklift’s windshield, but you know, hard. Jules was the reason I
applied to Spannocchia. She was my Spannocchs sage, legend, and confidant. And
she did not want a bite of my manchego?? She thought it was weird to take a bite
out of a block of cheese?? How could this be?? Rather than search for the
significance or hidden beauty of this moment, I did what felt most appropriate and
finished the block of cheese by myself. Duh.
Before we even finished the Lost Season 2 finale, however, I knew I finally had at
least an intro to my entry for Il Pennato. Like many, if not most, interns before me,
I have struggled to determine a focus for my entry. This manchego incident got
some creative juices flowing, but not as many as I would have liked. Condensing
three months of life-changing experiences into a concise, honest, and minimallyclichéd memoir remained a daunting task, as it should be. Spannocchia was our
lives for three months. It is an incredibly immersive experience that engages all the
senses and emotions in a captivating, sometimes overwhelming manner. Unless the
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former intern is genius enough to save the evidence of the legendary game
of Paper Trails and write about that, this Il Pennato business is quite
intimidating.
As I was brainstorming, my mind wandered to the moment when I said
goodbye to Giulio, the animali supervisor. I am not sure why my mind
settled on this particular moment, as this was simply one of many goodbyes
that day, but it did. I thanked him for his help during the internship and for
generally being a cool guy. We then had one of those awkward pauses that
most twentysomething guys have during even the slightest of tender
moments. Giulio finally said, “E…niente,” two very simple words that
resonated in the moment and still do a month later.
I remember chuckling and instantly feeling satisfied with how that goodbye
went. Giulio may simply have been telling me to go bother someone else so
he could get to work yelling at pigs. But for me, his comment seemed both
very fitting and very astute. For me, Giulio meant something along the lines
of, “Look dude, you just had the best three months of your life with an
amazing group of people. Nothing you or I can say right now can begin to
capture the general awesomeness of this experience. So be on your way
now, my young padawan, walk tall and proudly toward your next
adventure.” So that is exactly what I did, and I was really good at the “walk
tall” part. As I strolled back to Pulc, I was truly content and at ease, a
feeling that I think is very rare, even at Spannocchia. For the first time, I
felt as if I had passed the three-month test, and was cleared to leave
Spannocchia on the best of terms.
In hindsight, Giulio could have said, “E…
tutto,” and the effect would have been the
same. During those final days, it was
important to focus on the proverbial
Spannocchia forest rather than on any
specific tree (which is convenient, because
despite Angelo’s best efforts, I never did
learn the types of trees at Spannocchia). The experience was too near, the
memories too fresh, and the emotions far too raw to process. I knew that I
was forever changed as a person, but I was not quite certain in what ways I
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had changed. And in that moment, I was OK with the uncertainty. With
Giulio’s simple and unintentional guidance, I was able to embrace the
totality of the experience. This thankfully made the more emotional
goodbyes a bit easier to swallow.
Now that I have had a month to digest my Spannocchia experience (mostly
literally, but also figuratively), I can more confidently piece it all together
and at least begin to answer those profound questions I wisely avoided in
the final weeks of the internship. I now have a better sense of what I
learned and who I became while working as a tuttofare intern.
My fellow interns were my greatest teachers. I learned that simple is better,
that the three most important ingredients in anything are passion, great
people, and hard work. I learned that pecorino is best served on a doorstep,
and that is OK for a man to cry as Claudio passes you a generous slice of two
month. I discovered the incredible satisfaction in preparing meals for
others. I learned that all food is best when shared (unless it is Giulio’s
cinghiale prosciutto or Christine’s banana/zucchini bread. In those cases,
Steve and I should eat it all). I learned to neither show up empty handed to
a guest’s house nor leave with an empty stomach.
I learned that fat, drunk, and happy is a GREAT way to go through life
(apologies to Dean Wormer of Animal House fame). I learned that an
absurd amount of energy is an incredible asset, especially when it comes to
quick bread, salad dressing, and post-lunch cookies. I learned that everyone
can use more sensitivity in his or her life, and that it is OK to be honest
with your emotions. I learned to see the hidden beauty in life and
appreciate the little things. I learned not to accept the world as is, and to
actively seek ways to change the community you live in. I learned to pursue
your passion, and discovered the beauty in watching others pursue theirs
with an apron, flour, and an Adele album. And a very tall, very blonde,
very beautiful ragazza forte from Maine taught me that life is simply better
when you do not take anything or anyone too seriously, especially yourself.
I was humbled on a daily basis. My fellow interns inspired me to demand
better of myself. They inspired me to never be satisfied, to seek new ways to
improve myself in every way: as a person, a cook, a communicator, a friend,
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a citizen, an artist, a juggler, an ultimate frisbee player. They inspired me to
be moreplayer.
frisbee
generous,
Theyselfless,
inspired
honest,
me to goofy,
be more
adventurous, confident, and
sensitive. Iselfless,
generous,
am a better
honest,
man
goofy,
now than I was three months ago, and I owe it
to the amazing
adventurous,
confident,
people I lived
and sensitive.
with. In three
I am ashort months, they simply
made me
better
man
a better
now than
person.
I was three months
I have
ago,
and
made
I owe
noitmention
to the amazing
of our countless
people I unforgettable experiences. No
mention
lived
with.
of In
impromptu
three short
visits
months,
to pecorino
they farms or lardo-soppressata
sandwiches
simply
madeon
mePrimo
a better
Maggio.
person.
No mention of stargazing on the piano,
talking biodynamics with Helena, or amazing discoveries of buried
ISpannocchia
have made no
architecture.
mention ofAnd
our Icountless
certainly have not mentioned prosecco
unforgettable
No mention
ofmill that looked like a scene from
baptisms in theexperiences.
river near that
incredible
impromptu
The
Lion King.
visits to pecorino farms or lardoI have not mentioned
soppressata
sandwichesany
onof
Primo
theseMaggio.
memorable
No mention
momentsofbecause,
stargazing
in on the
discoveries
buried
hindsight,
piano,
talking
those
biodynamics
moments were
withmore
Helena,
about
or amazing
the people
I was withofthan
the
Spannocchia
architecture.
I certainly
have not mentioned
prosecco
places
we were
or the foodAnd
we ate.
Any Spannocchia
guest or intern
can
baptisms
in the river
thatriver,
incredible
that looked
like a .scene
Whatfrom
visit
Colombaia,
swimnear
in the
or havemill
a spritz
at La Pergola
matters
The Lionmost
King.
is not that I visited these places, but that I visited them with
Gideon, Cully, Suzette, Susanna, Christine, Lea, Steve, and Jessica. It was
this
I have
group
not of
mentioned
people who
anytruly
of these
made
memorable
each and every
moments
Spannocchia
because, in
experience
hindsight, those
a life-changing
moments were
one for
more
me.about the people I was with than the
So
places
to all
weofwere
the amazing
or the food
people
we ate.
whoAny
made
Spannocchia
Spannocchia
guest
the or
best
intern
threecan
months
visit Colombaia,
of my life,
swim
I sayinthank
the river,
you, or
a dopo,
have ae…..niente.
spritz at La Pergola. What
matters most is not that I visited these places, but that I visited them with
Gideon, Cully, Suzette, Susanna, Christine, Lea, Steve, and Jessica. It was
this group of people who truly made each and every Spannocchia
experience a life-changing one for me.
So to all of the amazing people who made Spannocchia the best three
months of my life, I say thank you, a dopo, e…..niente.
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PAPER TRAILS
By Steve Waldman
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Spannocchia
By Suzette Turner
Prepare to be changed forever.
By the breathtaking views that will be burned into your
memory.
By the delicious food and wine that seem to pour like an
endless fountain.
By the lovely language that will fill your heart and ears
with something intrinsically beautiful and musical.
By the glory of the sunsets that seem as though your
eyes will never behold a beauty as insurmountable.
By how the humble nature of the surreal world that now surrounds you
brings a new understanding of yourself and everyone else.
Prepare to long for something before it is even gone, and to pine for it every
day until you leave this Earth.
You will never meet people like these.
Creatures that possess an understanding of love and enchantment like we
have never known.
When you are there you will believe there is nothing else that exists.
Your heart will overflow with so much love that you will feel as though
you may melt and flow like a river.
All that love you feel and experience from those around you will never be
reproduced.
The depth and warmth you feel inside of your soul will
reach beyond the very bones you call home.
To arrive feels like home.
To leave feels like torture.
And once you are gone, you will wonder if it was ever
real at all.
*****
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Another day in Paradise
By Lea Ligat
Everyone experiences differently.
And everyone changes differently by having experiences.
While walking from Pulcinelli to the Villa kitchen, like every morning, I once read on
my yogi tea “You can’t learn experiences”, which is true and made me appreciate
my incomparable time even more.
Spannocchia changes everyone.
And of course you can’t foretell how your time there will be, but it is such a
beautiful, joyful and ma-magical place that no one ever will leave it without feeling
kind of touched by the impact it had on all the people here.
This internship showed me where I want to go with my life; made me continue in
doing what I love and these experiences were the most happy I have ever felt thanks to all the lovely people I met.
What shall I say? I was in paradise.
I lived together with 7 beautiful people who would also order a second gelato even if
it’s 10:30 pm; who drove away from a tasting at a biodynamic vineyard with tears in
their eyes saying that it was one of the best days in their life; who would sit at the
kitchen table at Pulcinelli for three hours discussing the industrial food system; the
ethics of consuming meat and foie gras; who would plan a Christmas eve in April
only as an excuse to prepare another feast and to exchange family recipes.
Every day was colorful and different, most of them long and intense and sometimes
I was a bit exhausted, but if I would then recall my day I would just realize what
great things I was allowed to do all giorno long and that picking wild flowers,
cooking, making granola, watering lemon trees, trying out another cake recipe and
talking shop with guests was actually pretty amazing.
And, it’s the little things that make you happy. For me it was the early morning
baking when nobody else was awake, the guests who come into the kitchen saying
“...another day in paradise”, interns stealing cake from me, Jessica and Silvia
coming for coffee breaks plus Carmen’s “che caffè?”, chats with the chicken and
visiting the orto girls to get some flowers; Graziella’s dirty jokes and Loredana’s
smiling face...
I could never sum up these incredible three months, but how we would sing on our
last night together standing in the Limonaia: We will leave, but this is not the end!
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Tuscan Roads
Lyrics by Susanna McKibben, sung to the tune of “Take Me Home,
Country Roads” by John Denver
We were thinner, when we got here
Never tasted cinta pig salumi
Now we´re fat and we dont give a damn
cause we met each other,
and live off of the land
Chorus:
Tuscan Roads, take us home
to the place we belong
To our castle, our Spannocchia
Take us home, Tuscan roads
Every morning, we get ready
put our boots on, how'd we get so dirty?
Then we go out, chachin' by the wall
So hungover
Vin box is all gone
Chorus
In the orto, work with Carmen
All day weeding
Growing veg and bok choy
If you go there, she will make you work
Grab a zappa
Turn dirt with a fork
Chorus
Up on pig hill, things are smelly
Chasing babies, God juice in their noses
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Fixing fences, all the giorno long
Forse Domani…
More pigs will be born
Chorus
SHIT it’s raining, Moroccan Hat Time!
In cantina, we will label white wine
In the vineyards, sistemared it wrong
"porca maiala" our bosses daily song
Chorus
Time for breakfast, in the villa
Stop for coffee, steal cake from Lea
Graziela, wants to make you fat
Feeds us gnocchi
Try a bite of that
Chorus
We must go now, say our goodbyes
Pack our bags and marvel at how time flies
We will leave but this is not the end
We will meet soon
Make cheese plates again
Chorus
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Haikus, Stagionati
By Cully Eisner-Terrill
Fresco. Pure. Just sheep
With honey you make even
Tuscan bread buono
Just a hint of age
Adolescent perfection
Creamy, yet refined
O Pecorino
That Bella muffa of yours
Three months. To the sheep
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Volume 12, Issue 1
Back, left to right: Steve Waldman (tuttofare), Christine Reighley (tuttofare),
Patch Ronald (tuttofare), Gideon Burdick (animali), Lea Ligat (GSI).
Front, left to right: Randall, Suzette Turner (animali), Francesca, Susanna
McKibben (orto), Jessica, Cully Eisner-Terrill (orto).
A BIG thank you to Lea, Christine and Paul Avis for so many great photos!!
Mission Statement
The Internship Program is dedicated to
enriching the lives of young people by
providing them with a unique educational
experience on a community oriented farm
in Tuscany, Italy. Tenuta di Spannocchia’s
1100-acre pastoral estate serves as an
active model for responsible stewardship
through collective effort.
Località Spannocchia
53012 Chiusdino (SI)
Italia
Tel: (01139) 0577 752 61
E-mail:
internships@spannocchia.org
www.spannocchia.org
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