05-06-2018
Christian Puglisi, born in Messina in 1982, in Copenhagen since 1989. Here he runs four restaurants (photo Farm of Ideas)
To get to the Farm Of Ideas leave Copenhagen and drive west for some 45 minutes, until you reach an unexpectedly hilly area, in a country that is otherwise mostly flat. The farm was created in February 2016 by Christian Puglisi, the chef of Sicilian origins who, after leaving Noma where he was sous chef, opened four restaurants: Relæ, Manfreds & Vin, Mirabelle and Bæst.
The issue is simply one: understanding when you have arrived. We were following the indications given by the Italian-Danish chef, so we knew we were not mistaken. But once in the right place, as we soon learnt, it was hard to realise we were there.
When looking around, there’s no sign of buildings that could host a “Farm of Ideas”, at least not the way we had imagined. But after a call and a few more indications, we realised that the Farm doesn’t include buildings, barns or brickwork: it’s basically a large field, partly cultivated with vegetables, partly destined to cattle. There’s a large canopy, a couple of tunnel-shaped green-houses, and a hayloft and a house on the other side of the road.
Sara Møhlenberg and Lasse Linding, Puglisi’s partners at the Farm of Ideas
How did you come up with the idea of the Farm of Ideas? After opening the 4th restaurant in Copenhagen, we started discussing how we could become more independent in terms of raw materials, especially vegetables. A few years ago we thought of an urban vegetable garden, right in the city, but then we put the plan aside because of some bureaucratic issues. This time we looked for a plot that would suit our needs, though it was hardly easy.
Why? Here in Denmark most plots are run by large owners who bought out all the small ones. This until we arrived in Lejre: it’s a very interesting place because they want to become the first organic town in Denmark. The Mayor of Lejre was thrilled that we would settle here, she took us around and introduced us to both the person who gave us the land, and to Lasse and Sara, a couple who were working on a similar project. We’ve started to work together to co-run the 30 hectares we bought. This is how our project started, and we realised that we had to change a few aspects compared to what we had in mind.
How have you organised the farming? We follow strictly organic rules, even though not all our products are certified as yet, due to the farming activity before we arrived. But we’ll get there. Plus I must confess that this experience has changed my point of view greatly: before, for instance, I’d see a cucumber, and I’d think “here’s a cucumber”. Now I know there’s much more, it’s a much more complex concept, in terms of varieties. For a chef, and for all the people who work here, it’s an opportunity to grow.
How do you organise the supply of the four kitchens that depend on the Farm? For this season there’s Estelle, who’s a chef, but she’s at work here in the Farm. Every day she gets orders from the restaurants, comes here in the morning with her collaborators, prepares the products and starts to make some of the processing here. But we’re working so that most of the work can be done here at the Farm, and send back products that are basically ready to be used, thus helping the kitchens, that are always too small for all the daily tasks. When our milk is ready too, at around lunchtime, Estelle leaves and drives to the restaurants.
Do you have other animals too? Of course: we have the first organic rabbit farm in Denmark, we have 4 pigs of the Mangalitza breed, a cross between a Hungarian pig and a European wild boar - they make some 28 piglets each year. We have 200 hens of the Isa Browns breed, which make around 180 eggs per day.
In the distance, cattle from the Farm of Ideas
The first organic rabbits in Denmark
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso
Reviews, recommendations and trends from the four corners of the planet, signed by all the authors of Identità Golose
by
Journalist, based in Milan. At 8 years old, he received a Springsteen record as a gift, and nothing was the same since. Music and food are his passions. Author and broadcaster at Radio Popolare since 1997, since 2014 he became part of the staff of Identità Golose Instagram: @NiccoloVecchia