Fustanella Farm

Our Story

Fustanella Farm

“Fustanella” Farm The “Fustanella” Farm is a new agro-tourism enterprise located in Zaranik, district of Petrela. “Fustanella” is composed by an organic farm and an organic restaurant, which offers Mediterranean and Balkanian cuisine, inspired by traditional recipes cooked for centuries in the hearths and houses where the “fustanella” was worn for centuries, and it is still worn. The menu is seasonal and based on the fresh produce from the fields around the restaurant. The meat comes from similar organic farms which are specialized in livestock husbandry. The entrees are accompanied by selected local varieties of wines and spirits, fresh fruit juices, homemade fruit syrups, and organic teas. We are very interested in our traditional cuisine and of the neighboring countries. We have tried to build our meals on fresh seasonal produce, which we turn into a daily, or weekly menu of Albanian, Greek, Arbëresh specialties, combined with some of the most beloved appetizers for the folks from the southern Balkans. The Arbëresh dishes were taught to our kitchen staff by Ms. Lucia Martino, an Arbëresh lady from Frascineto, an Arbëresh town in Calabria. Zia Lucetta, that’s how we love to call her, also happens to be the Ambassador of the Calabrian-Arbëresh Cuisine in Albania. Where did the idea come from? Several years ago, we seriously toyed with the idea of creating a touristic village near Pogradec with some very good friends, a place with traditional cuisine accompanied by various activities and entertainments, but things didn’t go like we wanted, and we couldn't get it done. Then, a few years later we were shown the place where “Fustanella” is now. The panorama was breathtaking. Fom that day, and for the next three years on, we only thought about “Fustanella” , what we would do there, how and when, and so on and so forth. Why "“Fustanella” Farm"? We called it “Fustanella”, because we wanted the name of our farm to convey the idea that at “Fustanella” Farm we will be keeping alive the so simple, and yet so rich, Mediterranean and Balkan culinary traditions. In short: the ethno-gastronomic traditions of the hearths where the “Fustanella” was and is still worn. We have tried to build our meals around what our farm yields, combined with the best seasonal produce obtained from other farms similar to ours, or from small trusted farmers we know personally, because, like Alice Waters, the Mother of Slow Food, our inspiration and saint patron says: "You must know your farmer!" Our dream is to operate a 100% organic sustainable farm, and that’s the way we have done so far, without using any synthetic pesticides and chemicals, except natural fertilizers of organic origin. Our concept is to serve seasonal produce at the restaurant. Until the opening of the “Fustanella” restaurant, we sold our produce to some friends' restaurants and various organic stores, but also to different families. Now we use most of the produce in our own kitchen. We aren’t doing anything flamboyant and extravagant with our veggies: we roast them, or grill them, make salads with them, stuff them, use them in pies, that is we use them in various dishes and tarts without a lot of pomp, and they taste just great. There is a saying in “Fustanella” Farm: Our farmers are the best chefs in the world! While we were making plans and projects for the restaurant and the guesthouse, we were lucky to meet our agronomist, Mr. Kujtim Shera, who for a few weeks set up a very good agricultural working group, installed the irrigation system, and started creating the “Fustanella” Farm. The work of these people is really admirable and the feedback from the visitors is very positive. Apparently, and this is a very good thing, people have begun to care about the nature and environment, and by doing so, God will, they will come around and begin to care a little more to preserve it. Nature is often beautiful, and man has the power to make it better, or destroy it. Plans for "“Fustanella” Farm"? As soon as we can afford it, we plan to complete the guesthouse. We have three wonderful rooms on the second floor, which have not yet been finished. We also want to better organize the storage and preservation of our produce, so that in the future we will also have a small shop, where visitors and guests can buy our fresh or pickled produce. We want to make our own wine and beer, a thing which we have already started, and we are planning to build a greenhouse as well, as soon as we can, which will also be organic. One of the biggest challenges of the future is creating strictly organic mini gardens in collaboration with local farmers, starting with our farm employees and hoping to get the word out. We want to pass on to local farmers our organic no tilling way of farming, using only organic fertilizers, no chemical pesticides, and then buy this produce off them, to be used in our kitchen. “Fustanella” Farm, with Mentor Prof. Andrea Shundi and Agronomist Mr. Kujtim Shera, aspires to become soon an official member of Slow Food International. Recently, we have been also been contacted and advised by a EEN services provider, Ms. Marinela Locaj, on behalf of a business support organization. Her unconditioned support and advisory services, helped us in getting acquainted with the benefits of joining this Network, and surely we will continue doing so in the forthcoming months, expanding our knowledge regarding the instruments that exist in order to grow up and compete with other similar producers and farmers like us. With the help of her advisory support in the agro-food sector development, especially here in Albania, we could succeed to transform our idea into a real business initiative.

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