The colours of summer. This is what comes to mind when we think back over the past three months.
Closing our eyes, we can see the intense yellow of the mountain Arnica flowering once again, but also the palettes of colours represented in the splendid photos of the participants in the first photographic competition dedicated to the territory and spontaneous flora of Piancavallo (exhibition which is still open until mid-September along the gallery of the Piancavallo “shopping centre”).
Moreover, how can we forget the bright colours during the first aperitif at sunset along with our InTheLoop friends, or the intense blue of the sky after the stormy evenings.
Our sincere appreciation
We would like to offer our heartfelt gratitude to all those who took part in the events we organised this summer, those who organised them with us, those who came to help with the harvesting, even voluntarily, those who just dropped by to say hello, to satisfy their curiosity or to take a few photos.
A special word of thanks goes to Nicola of Belli's food truck for feeding us and quenching our thirst in all weather conditions, and if you have never tried his handmade pasta made from ancient Friulan grains, do so straight away.
It has surely been a busy summer workwise but, thanks to all of you, it has been an unforgettable summer.
Nature always seems to surprise us
As much as we are used to it, every time the flowering season arrives, we are always amazed, this year more than ever. The harvest went very well, better than expected, but this was due to years of investments, studies, research, mistakes, hard work and a bit of luck dictated by the weather and nature.
Last winter's heavy snowfall seems to have helped our plants in spring. On the other hand, there is an old folk saying: "There is bread under the snow", perhaps there is a reason for this!
We have to say, we are doing something unique
The news arriving from the rest of Europe is negative about the supply of mountain Arnica.
As we have said many times in our articles (read Why choose an ARMO1191 product), most of the Arnica used in the products generally found on the market comes from the harvesting of the wild flower, not from its cultivation as in our case.
This practice, although regulated and controlled by the appropriate bodies, is seriously endangering the species. According to the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), the population in many European countries is declining, and in some countries, it is completely or almost extinct.
We are aware of several projects to resettle mountain Arnica on meadows where it was once present in large quantities, such as in Germany and France, especially in the "Ballons des Vosges" regional park, where there has been little or no harvest for the last three years, but so far, the results are late in coming.
This situation obviously disappoints us, but at the same time it gives us the confirmation that what we are doing is something unique.
This encourages us to continue our work, which has and has always had the preservation of natural habitats and the respect for nature, as well as the creation of authentic, high-quality products as our main objective.
