In the mornings, she pampers her clients at a beauty salon in Oristano, and in the afternoons she devotes herself to the land, to what has become a dream after spending several years with a hoe in hand, not far from where she grew up. In the Terralba area, at the foot of Monte Arci, there's a hectare and a half of countryside with an exotic feel. Jessica Camedda, 35, a beautician and mother of two girls, has managed to grow numerous avocado trees, 27 varieties. She also grows mangoes, guavas, feijoas, atemoyas, soursops, and pecans.
Niche exotic fruits grown in Sardinia, cultivated from a total of around a thousand trees. A project called Avosardo, launched in 2019 with her husband, has recently begun bearing fruit. Unexpectedly. The idea was born from a passion for exotic fruits, but also to demonstrate that the Oristano area can provide fruits that typically come from other areas like Peru, Mexico, and Morocco.
"Before starting this adventure," Jessica Camedda explains, "we traveled extensively around the world, discovering the most unique fruits. Then we conducted several feasibility studies on our local soil and climate to determine whether the characteristics of the fields were suitable for cultivation. And with our savings, we eventually managed to purchase a hectare and a half not far from the hamlet of Sant'Anna, where I grew up."
Then the land preparation began: "To purchase the plants, we went directly to specialized nurseries, both in Italy and abroad," she says. "As enthusiasts, we wanted to see them with our own eyes. Then the planting began, but in the meantime, I also had to study to get my green certificate."
The seedlings from a few years ago are now trees, up to three meters tall and full of fruit: "We just started our first harvest, and it still feels unbelievable," Jessica explains. "We're constantly in contact with technicians from specialized nurseries. Now we can confidently say that our areas are also suitable for growing tropical fruits, which are increasingly in demand on the market. There's a future we must embrace. I believe that over time, these fruits will become as common as the ones we consume today. We're now working to contact other farmers with the goal of creating a single channel, given the high demand for the product on our island as well."
But there's more: "My dream would be to combine my passions: the exotic and aesthetics. Tropical fruits are used for skincare due to their high vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content. I'll try."