Guarding is the mission of the islanders who inhabit Sardinia, whether it's an ancient vineyard, the black sheep of Arbus, or eccentric glasses crafted by a designer from Cagliari. There's plenty to discover here beyond the beautiful sea. “Natural garden,” is how Gian Piero Frau refers to his three-hectare field in Siddi, a town of just over 600 inhabitants about 60 kilometers (33 miles) from Cagliari, the island's capital city located on the southern coast.

Here, he grows vegetables and fruit for direct sale. After 24 years of managing a farm, Frau has decided to get back into the game. "The wholesalers demanded that perfect-looking fruit and vegetables are impossible to obtain without chemicals. Whereas I, on the other hand, grow and process durum wheat exclusively in four areas, Marmilla, Sinis, Planargia, and Meilogu. They said that producers could not agree in Sardinia, and instead here we are with 250 companies and almost 3,000 hectares planted with 100% island grains."