Book details

  • Genre:fiction
  • Sub-genre:Cultural Heritage
  • Language:English
  • Pages:176
  • Paperback ISBN:9798992207408

Navigating with Nature

A Year with the Fusilli Farmstead

By Mornin' Bird

Overview


Navigating with Nature: A Year with the Fusilli Farmstead is the first novel in a series of books and music about the cycles and patterns of nature and life told through the agricultural seasons. This is a story of a generational shift between an old-world Italian couple, Grandpa and Nonna, and their granddaughter, Solbina, as they prepare to retire and hand over the reigns to the family business, the Fusilli Farmstead. Solbina has come to an exciting but uncertain transitional point in her life. She's nearing the age of 30, trying to put the pieces of her life together in a way that feels right. With an unsure future of the farm and on the hunt for new opportunities, Solbina and Grandpa embark on a journey to breathe new life into the family business, traveling from port to port with their farm goods. Solbina soaks up every bit of experience she can while trying to express her artistic nature and discover who she is and what she believes as an individual, an artist, an entrepreneur, a lover, a sister, a granddaughter and a friend. Through the ups and downs, highs and lows of the four seasons of Navigating with Nature, Solbina carries with her the lessons she's learned, and values that have been passed down to her. This reserve of advice and guidance keeps growing and evolving on her path thru new experiences and mentors she meets along the way as they help her understand more about herself, the people in her life, and her creative and entrepreneurial pursuits that she may never have seen otherwise.
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Description


Navigating with Nature is a whimsical series of books and music about the cycles and patterns of nature told through the agricultural and commercial fishing seasons. The story of a generational shift between an old-world Italian couple, Grandpa and Nonna, and their granddaughter, Solbina, as they prepare to retire and hand over the reigns to the family business, their life-long pride and joy, the Fusilli Farmstead. Things are changing ecologically, socially and within the family. The matriarch and patriarch of the family have reached their golden years. They're losing steam. They can't keep rolling up their sleeves, and chugging on forever. Solbina, an impassioned musician and the youngest granddaughter, has come to an exciting but uncertain transitional point in her life. She's on the brink of turning 30, trying to put the pieces of her life together in a way that feels right. And Grandpa and Nonna have just entrusted her with this huge opportunity to move to the farm and care for part of the Fusilli Farmstead land. With an unsure future of the farm and new-found opportunities, Solbina and Grandpa embark on a journey to breathe new life into the family business, traveling from port to port as Solbina soaks up every little bit of experience she can from the fisherman, the farmer's markets, and whatever other curators of local fare she meets along the way. All while trying to express her artistic nature, find stability in her love life, and discover who she is and what she believes as an individual, an artist, an entrepreneur, and a young person trying to blaze her own trail, while upholding the legacy of those who came before her. But Solbina also faces a number of challenges throughout the series, that end up being necessary and transformative. At a concert, Solbina locks eyes with an energetic musician on stage. They have instant chemistry and she's enthralled by how talented and successful he is. They make a powerful connection offstage, which feeds her in many ways. Through the ups and downs, highs and lows of the four seasons of Navigating with Nature, Solbina carries with her the lessons she's learned, and values that have been passed down to her, from Grandpa and Nonna. And that reserve of advice and guidance keeps growing and evolving through her experiences and new acquaintances and mentors, as she meets many different characters along the way, who share with her joy, comfort, wisdom, and a lot of laughs, as they help her have epiphanies about herself, the people in her life, and her creative and entrepreneurial pursuits that she never would have seen otherwise.
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About The Author


Farmer and artist living in midcoast Maine on an Organic fruit and vegetable farm producing award winning food products. 25 years of experience in visual art, writing, design, food service and agriculture. Holding a B.A. in Arts with minor studies in geology and anthropology, she also has a culinary arts certificate and several food handling and manufacturing licenses. With a commitment to whole system design, her principles are defined by the importance of understanding the seasonality for food and lifestyle as well as best agricultural practices for both a healthful diet and for the health of soil, water and energy resources. Dedicated to health, access and fun in food, farming and the arts. She has created a business and programming with a mission and vision believing everyone is an artist at work creating their lives, days, families, communities, trades and crafts.  These products and programs aim to inspire people to foster connection with their own selves, with each other and with the natural world we live in through relationships to foods, crafts, arts and the ecology of place. She is dedicated to the expression of connection between the arts, culture and the vital natural resources of places, particularly people's use and care of them and how they have been and are still evolving. 
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