“I don't want you just to sit down at the table.

I don't want you just to eat, and be content.

I want you to walk out into the fields where the water is shining, and the rice has risen.

I want you to stand there, far from the white tablecloth.

I want you to fill your hands with mud, like a blessing.”

- from Mary Oliver’s poem “Rice”

I have spent the last eight years working with Southern Tuscany’s only organic rice farm.

During this time, I have witnessed every step in the process of growing rice, from planting to harvesting – including seeding some small fields by hand (as seen in this photo). In this way, I have learned about different rice varieties, regenerative agricultural practices and how to make a good plate of risotto.

If you have any questions about Italian rice or life in Maremma, please be in touch!