Cleopatra Farm: the essence of Sardinia in a jar

The Azienda Agricola Cleopatra takes shape from the passion for nature of a girl from Brescia, Laura Moleri, who in 2011 decided to move to Sardinia to cultivate saffron, legumes, and aromatic herbs. This decision was very courageous and driven by the will to invest all her time and resources to face a truly important challenge: cultivating the land according to ancient peasant traditions, respecting it and working it with passion and dedication.

Leaving the chaotic life of Lombardy and a secure job were indeed the first acts of individual courage that allowed this unique reality to see the light. The Azienda Agricola Cleopatra takes its name from Cleopatra, the first little dog of Laura, a true lover of nature who is no longer with us but who is honored by giving this company her name.

AZIENDA AGRICOLA CLEOPATRA: A YOUNG AND DYNAMIC COMPANY

The company was born in January 2017 in San Gavino Monreale, in Sardinia, in the heart of the Campidano plain, with its splendid climate and somewhat wild nature, thanks to the will and passion of two young, but enterprising individuals: Laura Moleri, from Brescia, and Alessandro, her Sardinian partner. In this area, it is precisely the balance between excellent microclimatic conditions, the perfect mineral composition of the soil, and high underground humidity that allows for the creation of extraordinary products of the highest quality.

After a long apprenticeship spent cultivating borrowed land to gain familiarity with the work of the earth, the two barely thirty-somethings have come to believe in something that seemed truly impossible: cultivating the land to obtain healthy and genuine products, respecting the seasons and the traditions. In short, a true return to nature by two young individuals who, with courage and determination, have, in countertrend, said no to consumerism, globalization, and the chaotic life of the cities.

In 2017, the quality leap finally arrived: the purchase of a plot of land to finally realize the dream of living and working in contact with nature. A truly important step that allowed this couple to achieve their dream by carrying forward their belief in the respect for biological cycles and the rhythms of nature, thereby spreading, as passed down from ancestors, the culture of quality, taste, and tradition. Besides the love for the land, the other ingredients that make this company an excellence are precisely the sun and the wind of Sardinia, its soil, and the saltiness of the sea that washes its coasts.

EXTRAORDINARY PRODUCTS MADE IN SARDINIA: BEANS, SAFFRON, AND AROMATIC HERBS

In this area of southwestern Sardinia, in the heart of the Campidano plain, one can fully breathe in the scents of the Mediterranean scrub typical of the inland areas, blending with the aroma of saltiness coming from the nearby coasts, carried by the strong winds that blow over this extraordinary island. In San Gavino Monreale, a perfect balance has thus been achieved between microclimatic conditions, the mineral composition of the soil, and the high underground humidity, which allows for the production of high-quality products with unique and unmistakable organoleptic characteristics.

The crops, due to the attention that Laura and Alessandro place on nature's protection, are treated only with natural products and repellents such as animal manure, neem oil, or wood ash. The work of the farmer is extremely tiring and requires many efforts, but being able to obtain excellent, appreciated products certainly repays all efforts, providing immense satisfaction. Laura and Alessandro started by cultivating saffron, a precious spice typical of Sardinia, which is processed entirely by hand according to ancient traditions.

Subsequently, dried aromatic herbs were added, considered not only excellent seasonings but also true natural medicines, including, for example, oregano, sage, nettle, thyme, borage, and many others; these are collected and then dried and stored in practical glass jars. Finally, dried legumes, another gem of the Campidano, were also added to the catalog, always cultivated according to tradition and processed entirely by hand.

AZIENDA AGRICOLA CLEOPATRA AND THE LOVE FOR THE LAND AND TRADITIONS

The project of Laura and Alessandro is still in continuous evolution. Any company must always be up to date without forgetting its origins and traditions; it is indeed very common to experiment with new crops, especially to rediscover and enhance some almost forgotten products that actually have enormous potential.

The love for authenticity that characterizes country life and for contact with nature and the land has led these two incredible young people to conceive something truly unique, a reality that is respectful and closely linked to the traditions of the territory, with which there is a very close bond, but at the same time, with an eye always fixed on the horizon, ready to seize every new opportunity that allows their work to enhance and promote the products of Sardinia.

The products of Azienda Agricola Cleopatra are appreciated by those looking for products of high quality at a good price. Many buy them to bring home the flavors and scents of a magical land like Sardinia. Thanks to Laura and Alessandro, you can bring home the essence of a magical land like Sardinia encapsulated in a jar! Laura and Alessandro are very happy to share with all of us a philosophy that preaches simplicity but, at the same time, quality, taste, and tradition, because often it is the simple and genuine things that improve life and make us happier!

Ilaria Chesini