Updates from the Merill Farmers' Network

Hello Merill fans,

John Gauci, one of our young farmers and myself

Though summer was officially over on the 21st of September, we are still enjoying blue skies and warm temperatures here in Malta. All the grapes have been harvested and the wine makers are now busy monitoring their new wines. Pomegranates are ripening and it will soon be time to harvest the olives with which the new olive oil will be made. 

We're happy to announce that our network is getting bigger! We now have 20 farmers and artisans around Malta who form part of the Merill Rural Network. 

Tess Gauci - an expert of Maltese local delicacies

All our partners forming the network are authentic farmers and herdsmen, while some are artisans. During the eco and agri experiences we organise, we visit farm venues with guests who wish to enjoy agri-tourism activities, or simply to relax, or to learn about the Maltese culture. 

Nenu Farrugia - One of the very few
Karozzini (horse-cabs) makers left in Malta

Here are some photos of some members of the network. More coming up soon!

Stay in touch through our website or facebook fan page, or drop us a line on info@merillecotours.com.

Take care

Jeanette :)

Horses, carts, karozzini and much more!

Uncle Nenu Showing me photos of his work

Today I had a chat with my uncle Nenu, a craftsman who still practices the tradition learnt at a young age. Carmelo Farrugia (a.k.a Nenu), from Qormi, owns a small workshop where he constructs, repairs and paints mounting equipment for racing horses.

The traditional "karozzini" or horse cabs, associated with Valletta tours, and sulkies or "srieken" in Maltese are still sought for by locals who share the passion for horses.

In olden times, everything was carried on horse driven carts; vegetables, construction material, flour and much more. Nowadays, they are collection items featured in agrarian fairs organised all over Malta.

My Nannu (left) and Uncle Nenu around 40 years ago

To raise awareness about this tradition, we are organising workshops and experiences for those who are keen in learning about Malta and it's crafts. Call us on 00356 21411388 or email us on info@merillecotours.com. We'd love to hear from you!

Ready for the track!