L'Italo-Americano

italoamericano-digital-4-14-2016

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THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Italians settled, growing their own food was a priority for most." The Italian Garden Project started in Pittsburgh (PA), where it was based until last year when Mary began spending half of her time in Sacramento and the Bay area. "I love California!" she says. "The climate and terrain are so much more like Italy than in the East, and the grapes, olives and figs are everywhere! When I tell Californians what it takes to grow a fig tree in the Northeast, they can hardly believe it!" Mary, what or who was the inspiration for your Italian Garden Project? My inspiration for the project was my paternal grandfather Antonio [Antonio Martone immi- grated to the U.S. in 1912 at age 16 from Sant' Angelo d'Alife, province of Caserta, ed.]. He had a large garden in the backyard of the house where I lived, just a few miles from his home. He spent all day, almost every day in that garden. I adored my grandfa- ther and spent as much time with him as I could. I not only grew to admire his extensive gardening knowledge and his wise use of resources, but I sensed the immense satisfaction and con- tentment that he experienced in his garden. He felt completely at home there, as though there was nowhere else on Earth he'd rather be. This is the same feel- ing I get from the gardeners who I visit for the project. The garden brings them great joy and fulfill- ment. It feeds not only their bod- ies, but their souls as well. Who are the gardeners behind The Italian Garden Project? Most of the gardeners are Italian-born Americans who came to the U.S. after WWII and grew up in families that gardened as a way of life. They survived, for the most part, on what they grew themselves or could sell from their gardens. Today, they continue to live much closer to the earth and more lightly on the earth than most anyone. I always "Sustainability is not a new concept for the Italian gardener. It is a way of life" Mary Menniti in her garden. Photo courtesy of Mary Menniti Continued to page 3 Continued from page 1

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