L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano W e d r i v e our little Fiat 500 t h r o u g h t h e woods down a gravelly road just a few minutes from the small hill town of Radda in Chianti. One side of the track is lined by a fence, behind w h i c h a f e w d o z e n f u r r y goats briefly stop their plant- munching to watch us drive through the iron gate. A few large white dogs blend into t h e h e r d , a n d t h e y a l s o watch us, intently – these are the beautiful, fiercely protective (and potentially deadly) Maremmano dogs, bred to protect their flock at a l l c o s t s . L u c k i l y f o r u s , t h e s e p a r t i c u l a r d o g s a r e accustomed to visitors on their property, so we greet t h e m w i t h a f r i e n d l y a n d hopefully unthreatening "Hi, doggos!" We've arrived at the Chi- a n t i C a s h m e r e g o a t f a r m , t h e h o m e o f N o r a Kravis and her 130 cash- mere goats, situated among the trees above one of Chi- anti's most picturesque val- leys. Walking up to her hand- made knits shop, we hear the voices of two American cou- ples who were visiting; they were "oooh-ing and aaah- ing" at the baby-soft scarves a n d g l o v e s a n d b l a n k e t s w e a v e d b y h a n d f r o m t h e fine cashmere combed from these goats. Nora employs several local professional hand-knitters to create these exquisite cashmere products o n d i s p l a y i n h e r s h o p – each one is unique, a piece of wearable art. Nora, an American who moved to Italy in 1972, has a unique approach to her goat farming: the animals feed on the surrounding hillsides in uncultivated areas, clearing u n w a n t e d s h r u b b e r y a n d making room for more pro- ductive agriculture. Her ani- mals are combed for weeks every year, producing the highly prized and incredibly soft cashmere wool which is then cleaned and spun into t h r e a d t o m a k e t h e h i g h - quality goods sold on-site and worldwide. " T h e C h i a n t i a r e a h a s changed drastically since I came here 50 years ago," she says, waving an arm across the valley. "It was entirely rural. There was just one hotel and one restaurant in Radda, the still small but now-bustling tourist borgo on the hill above us. That hillside vineyard there used t o b e r e g u l a r f a r m l a n d , plowed by white oxen." Shortly after moving to Italy in her 20s, Nora stud- ied veterinary medicine in Pisa. Through a series of serendipitous events and g r a d u a l a c q u i s i t i o n s o f property and animals, she came to operate and run one of the most highly-regarded c a s h m e r e f a r m s i n t h e world. "It's a lot to keep up with, the changing methods in the care and breeding of these animals," she said; but Nora is up to the task. She keeps these animals healthy a n d p r o d u c t i v e , a n d h e r goats are known globally as prize-winning specimens and quality breeding stock. " S i n c e t h e y ' r e r a i s e d f o r their cashmere, rather than meat or milk, they can live quite long lives and stay pro- ductive. See that one?" She pointed to one female goat. "She's about 16 years old, and she just had a baby last season." E c o l o g i c a l s u s t a i n - ability is key to Nora's pro- duction here – and not just for the sake of the goats. It's a "wildlife-friendly" farm, w h i c h m e a n s s h a r i n g t h e land with the local fauna - including the foxes, wolves, and the like that may occa- sionally claim a goat or two. In fact, the carefully man- aged grazing has the result of improving the land for all of its two- and four-legged residents. "Shepherd for a Day" In addition to her fantas- tic shop and the occasional lunch featuring local food- s t u f f s , N o r a o f f e r s a n immersive experience for visitors who want to make a day of it with "Pastore per un giorno," in which visi- tor s l ead a fl ock of goats through this timeless fairy- tale valley, accompanied by Nora and several of her 12 dogs, to graze in fields and woodlands on the adjacent hillsides. This is the best way to escape Chianti's sani- tized tourist spots and get a feel for real life in this iconic l a n d s c a p e , a s w e l l a s t o l e a r n a l l a b o u t N o r a ' s u n i q u e a n d f a s c i n a t i n g niche in the midst of it (and for a visit to a nearby winery for a quick tasting breaks up the day's walk!). Because of her devotion to local ecology and conser- vation, Nora has recently developed yet another offer- ing at her farm: eco-print- ing. Visitors gather leaves from local flora, unique to Chianti, and imprint them on bolts of fabric with a spe- cial imprinting method – a s c a r f , a t a b l e r u n n e r , a throw blanket. The result is a "handmade-by-you" piece of fine fabric, a keepsake for generations. A visit to Chianti Cash- m e r e i s a o n e - o f - a - k i n d experience - whether for the e x p e r t l y - m a d e c a s h m e r e products, the perfect lunch- es, the immersive interac- tions with the animals, or j u s t t h e i n c r e d i b l e a n d inspiring Chianti landscape. If you go: Open by reser- vation only. M a k e i n q u i r i e s h e r e : www.chianticashmere.com Also shop online – world- wide shipping. About the authors: Zene- ba & Matt moved from the U.S. to Italy in 2019, where they live and work as per- forming musicians. They a r e a l s o a u t h o r s o f f o u r a w a r d w i n n i n g t r a v e l guidebooks, and as Little R o a d s E u r o p e t h e y c r a f t itineraries for travelers who want to visit small towns and enjoy authentic experi- ences in Italy and Ireland. www.littleroadseurope.com MATT WALKER & ZENEBA BOWERS On the left, Nora with one of her goats (Photo:Nora Kravis) and, on the right, an example of Kravis' eco-printing (Photo: Matt Walker and Zeneba Bowers) Tuscan countryside – Nora Kravis and her Chianti Cashmere LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS

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