Paul, the all-rounder

The carpentry shop where Paul worked for a 25 years suddenly had to close its doors a few years ago. The Oberspisser farmer is glad about that now. He works part time again, but can now dedicate more of his time to his farm and the trees, sheep and peacocks. But not just that: beekeeping, weaving, woodturning and spinning as well as his mill and dry-stone walls.

He made his mill himself. “I had to beg an old man from the Puster Valley for a long time for the mill stone. He was one of the last people with that kind of expertise.” Paul grinds the grain he has grown himself for his own use and for his cows.

When the trees and meadows are flourishing and blossoming, I sit myself down in front of the beehives, by the entrance holes, watch the buzzing chaos and discover a fascinating order.

Paul Spisser

The farmer from Laion protects old tree stumps so that insects can find shelter in the dead wood and birds can find a place to nest. In the summer, Paul observes the tadpoles in his small natural pond and the grass snakes, which bask in the sunshine there year after year.

Paul enjoys planting a variety of different trees because it is good for diversity. As a member of the Sortengarten Südtirol, he values old varieties and local fruit, growing seedlings on the slopes and grafting them. Apricots appeal to him the most.

Paul has been woodturning since he can remember. He inherited his love for it from his father. Recently, Paul visited the winter school in Val d’Ultimo, where he was taught to spin and weave by old farmers. He had taken the spinning wheel down from the attic a long time ago and repaired it. He has specially shaped branches strung up together in front of his shed. “I’m going to use these as a basket holder or door opener,” he says enthusiastically. He also prefers to use local hazelnut rather than imported willow for his weaving.