The Good Life
Masters Thesis for Photojournalism and Documentary Photography
Introduction
"If you want to change the world, you have to change yourself first. Everyone feels that they are a tiny bug against the world, but the revolution will come if you change your own habits." Fabrizio Feltri feels that big change starts from within, which is why he lives his life in the most natural way possible. Residing in the small town of Marrubiu on the island of Sardinia, Italy, he and his wife Stefania have established a life for themselves that strives to produce what they consume and to live off the earth as much as they possibly can to become self-sufficient. This project aims to document the different ways they harness resources from mother earth in hope of showing others that it is possible to live this way even on a small scale.
This project, originally published as a book, follows the events of their life, categorized in single a 24 hour period.
"If you want to be happy, become a farmer. Interacting with Mother Earth makes me feel myself, which is a much greater feeling than being a marketing manager at a multinational company. I've always had a relationship with the earth, and to take a seed planted in the ground and let it grow, regardless of whether it produces food for us or not, is a great feeling of myself. We live in this community that is alone but together, and as a group we have decided to do what creates the fewest compromises as possible for ourselves. We make these sustainable choices out of love and here, we are free." - Fabrizio Feltri
The ringing bells from the flock of sheep behind the house fill the morning air as the rising sun shines over the Sardinian mountains.
In the early morning, before the sun rises over the mountains, Fabrizio sprays the trees of his olive grove with an organic pesticide to prevent flys from penetrating the olives and killing the stock. This allows them to consume the olives weeks sooner than a factory pesticide, and is better for the trees themselves. Next: Fabrizio collects fresh milk from his neighbor down the road, Gavino, who runs a small family farm away from the corporate world with his two brothers.
The olive trees also require pruning of the branches around the trunk to grow properly.
Solar panels on two sides of the roof, along with a single panel in the yard for the hot water, provides the electricity running throughout the house as well as money back from the government energy plan.
Moon phases for the year help to dictate when the best time to do certain tasks may be, which Fabrizio is researching for his next dentist appointment.
Several hours in the morning are spent on simple tasks like pruning lavender plants, placing seeds in the right beds or pulling the newest produce.
Alberto, Fabrizio's neighbor in the commune, takes his honey business to the Friday morning market in the town, selling all different types of honey, combs, waxes and honey products.
Many of the products Fabrizio receives are from bartering with friends, like his barter with Rupanter of a bag of wheat for two bottles of wine.
Below, Fabrizio learns about the organic fishery on the Sardinian coast.
THE WORLD OF BEES
Alberto Scarabelli lives next door to Fabrizio and runs over 320 bee houses to conduct his bee and honey business called Apinath, "the honey of Sardinia". Instead of paying Alberto for his teaching time, Fabrizio trades his working hours for what Alberto can pass on to him to tend his own bee houses. After paying for some supplies for his houses and queen bees, Fabrizio then creates his honey and gives some back to the business in return for the help from Alberto. Fabrizio also has a large pond in his yard, which helps the bees to quench their thirst and to sample more flowers for a variety of flavors.
Here, Alberto and Fabrizio are checking all of the combs in each house to see if the Queen is present and doing her job properly. They also want to distribute the right amount of work between all of the houses so enough honey is produced. When they see a comb overflowing with the sweet nectar, they take it out and rearrange the less filled ones in for balance. After keeping the bees happy and replacing the combs, they take them back to the house, scrape off the outside wax to allow the honey to leave the comb, and then spin all of the combs to drip the honey down, which will then be used in different ways for the business.
THE SPIRITUAL WORLD
Shantam and Shika, spiritual names chosen after following in the path of their master Osho, keep spirituality very close to their daily life and routine. Each morning Shantam (Fabrizio) rises with the sun and chooses a meditation to engage in for half an hour to forty-five minutes. Shika (Stefania) has trained in the methods of Chromotherapy, or Aura Soma, and uses this to help balance people's energy. Both also take part in Reiki training, for themselves and for others, as well as Shiatsu and Tai Chi.
When visiting the beach on a beautiful, almost cloudless day, the first thing Fabrizio did when sitting down on the sand was to take in the sounds of the ocean and meditate for forty-five minutes. He also uses Stefania as his model for practicing Watsu in the hot springs, a combination of hydrotherapy and Shiatsu which involves swaying her around in the water. At one point, Fabrizio submerges Stefania for an even greater feeling of peace, relaxation and weightlessness.
Fabrizio and Stefania observe the remains of a forest fire next to their house; the eucalyptus trees are already growing back after 3 months time. Fabrizio also looks for asparagus seedlings growing along the road.
Afternoon work brings more chores in the yard, like moving wood for the winter months and helping his neighbor to manage his bed and produce growth correctly.
As a part of his barter system, Fabrizio takes wheat grain from across the road and grinds it up into flour to use as a commodity to trade for other items, like wine or produce that he does not have himself. Though a simple process, they have to "drain" the bugs that live amongst the grain before grinding it into flour.
Behind the house is a dark room where the preserved foods reside, either hanging like onions and garlic, or jarred like the tomatoes and other vegetables with which Fabrizio is experimenting. This is also where he keeps his bottles of olive oil, which he uses as a barter for eggs from his neighbor Ermenia.
The setting sun is a good indicator of time for a short tai chi meditation in the back garden, as well as feeding for the six cats residing in the house and preparation for dinner in the evening.
Known amongst themselves as the "Spontaneous Band", Fabrizio meets up with other commune members (pictured Mirko, Fabrizio and Fabrizio) to play their instruments and bring what they feel to the music, each person tuning into one another.
The stars dotting the night sky become starkly visible by the lack of city lights in the Sardinian countryside.
A special thank you to Fabrizio and Stefania Feltri; without you I wouldn't have been able to discover what it means to return to the roots of Mother Earth.