Cuttings Festival - The Swallow Calls

An afternoon among hedgerows and cuttings in the Po hills

The Cuttings Festival is a nature and education event held in Moncestino, a hillside village in the Province of Alessandria, Piedmont, overlooking the landscapes of Monferrato and the Po River. The event is part of the "The Swallow Calls" series, promoted by the Po Piedmont Protected Areas Management Board, and invites you to discover the ancient and modern practices of rural landscape stewardship.

The "The Swallow Calls" series

The series takes its name and inspiration from the message of writer Beppe Fenoglio, who through his works chronicled the value of the landscape and the identity of rural communities, supporting their revival and conservation. The "The Swallow Calls" events bring literature, territory, and the environment into dialogue, taking place within the Po Piedmont protected areas with free admission and the patronage of the Management Board.

The theme: propagating wild vegetation

The heart of the Cuttings Festival is a demonstrative and educational workshop on wild vegetation propagation techniques. It is an opportunity to learn how to multiply native trees and shrubs of the field hedgerows, which are fundamental elements for biodiversity and the quality of the agricultural landscape. The day includes a walk along the hedgerows around the farm to collect samples, followed by nursery demonstrations.

Experts and technical contributions

• Nursery demonstrations by Alessandro Corbellini of the Gae Aulenti Agricultural Institute in Biella and Alberto Peyron of Vivai Purpurea.
• Technical contributions from the Po Piedmont Protected Areas Management Board and ARPA Piemonte on the topic of renaturalization on farms.

The venue: San Giovanni Vecchio Organic Farm

The event is held at the San Giovanni Vecchio Organic Farm, at Via San Giovanni 18 in Moncestino, a business that operates according to organic farming principles and is part of the network of typical producers of the Po Piedmont Protected Areas. A perfect setting for an event that combines naturalistic knowledge with the rural life of the Alessandria Monferrato.