Heritage & Purpose: Agatha’s Family Promise

Today, I wanted to share a little bit more about our incredible La Furtuna Farm. Without the farm, our skincare wouldn’t be possible. Because of our impeccable farm, we’re able to bring you the best and cleanest ingredients in the world, while catering to your skincare needs. Ahead, I touch on how we got started, our family values and what the future holds in store for us.

When my husband Steve was very young, his grandmother told him about the beautiful land she grew up on in Sicily before she moved to the United States. It was in Corleone, Sicily and Steve made a promise to his Nona when he was a little boy. He vowed to her to find the land where she grew up - the place that was the life-force of her powerful memories of beauty, stability and close-knit communities. She told him stories of running streams you could drink from and how she stopped to eat right from the land when she was hungry from play. Together we went on this journey to find the land his grandparents grew up on and we found this magical, wild plot of land (roughly 4 acres). We even found the foundation of her tiny home in rubble.

What we also found was that there was no work for people and the very institution of family was challenged because spouses and children had to move to find work for their survival. We set out to change all that and to restore this beautiful place and these beautiful people to a place of safety and stability… to offer them a future where they could thrive. Ultimately, we worked to secure over 800 acres of organic farm land surrounding the little family plot, brought in experts like our resident botanist Pasquale Marino (lovingly called Mimmo), started creating sustainable solutions to work the land, and started building businesses to provide ongoing work and stability to that community. As the communities that flourish from this farm have grown, we keep that same purpose. We take care.

Because of the farm, we’ve been able to provide stable jobs to an entire region of Italy, and right now that’s been more necessary than ever. Our team of local farmers hand-inspect everything for quality and helps us maintain a robust and sustainable farming ecosystem. We rely on our team and are happy to give back to the community through our farm.

Another goal we had from the start was to plant 14,000 olive trees on the farm to make our ingredients possible. Pasquale actually revitalized Biancolilla Centinara (ancient white lilac) olive tree upon it being on the brink of extinction. Since planting our trees and pressing our olives, Bona Furtuna harvests new fare. From wild foraged herbs dried by the Mediterranean breeze to 100% organic pasta sauce using indigenous, heirloom Corleonese tomatoes, we’ve produced the most high-quality products on the market. The potential that lies in our farm is unmatched, and our sustainable practices, improvement of the local economy, and job opportunities will only continue to grow. Recently, we’ve even begun our first archaeological dig in the area. In partnership with the University of Palermo, we’re excited to further explore the history this land has and donate it back to its people for their records. Needless to say, the possibilities are endless and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come.

Today, Steve and I manage what we’ve built as the La Furtuna Farm and we couldn’t be more proud. Family and our heritage have always been of the utmost importance to us both, so we wanted to do everything we can to keep this legacy alive. We also wanted our children to have a memory of where their heritage was from and how we preserved this family history. We obviously love Italy as a country in general but having this piece of authentic Italian heritage and life means the world to us. We hope you see the deep care we take in everything that we do at Furtuna Skin.