Anyone who regularly reads my blogs will know that we are keen gardeners, and that we have a large orto (vegetable garden, or allotment) which provides us with nice fresh produce throughout the summer. So when I was browsing through the newspaper the other day and my attention was caught by the words ‘Orti Energetici’ (Energy Vegetable Gardens!), naturally I read on…..

“PISA – Gli orti pubblici, terreni concessi dal comune ai cittadini agricoltori per passione, non sono una novità. E migliaia sono gli improvvisati contadini metropolitani che coltivano pomodori, insalata o melanzane nelle periferie di piccole o grandi città. Mai però si erano visti orti energetici dove, invece di frutta e verdura, nascono pannelli solari e impianti minieolici.”

(PISA – Public allotments, pieces of land rented out by the council to citizens who are passionate gardeners, are not a novelty. There are thousands of self made ‘metropolitan farmers’ who cultivate tomatoes, salad, or aubergines (egg plants) on the outskirts of towns and cities. Never before, however, have we seen ‘energy allotments’ where, instead of fruit and vegetables, solar panels and mini wind turbines are cultivated.)

The idea has been proposed by il Comune di Pisa (Pisa City Council), which wants to comply with the new environmental building regulations. They have decided to make available, free of charge, allotments on which to plant this strange new crop which will harvest the abundant natural resources and convert them into clean energy. Orti energitici will be available to citizens who inhabit buildings on which, in order not to disfigure the aesthetic integrity of the centro storico (historic centre), unsightly solar panels and wind turbines cannot be installed.

The most efficient ‘energy gardeners’, and citizens who modify their homes to be more energy efficient, will be rewarded with generous tax discounts.