Merill Rural Network

29/09/2024

Insellmu l-memorja ta' Ġużu l-Beżuża! 💔🙏

24/09/2024

Pauline, Céline, and Jade recently finished an internship at our social enterprise. They’ve had amazing and enriching experiences while in Malta, assisting the members and engaging with the rural community! 🌿

Amongst the highlights...

1️⃣ Tan-Nixxiegħa Experience : They assisted the family in hosting guests and guiding them through local culinary traditions. They even learnt how to make the famous Maltese pastizzi with the visitors! A fun and tasty adventure 🥟🌾

2️⃣ Ta' Żeppi Farm : Immersed in artisanal practices, they participated in essential farm activities like milking sheep and producing delicious local cheese. 🐑🧀

3️⃣ Lawrence the Falconer at Għar Lapsi: The girls had the chance to meet Lawrence, the falconer, and got to briefly discuss the tradition of falconry with him. They even had the unique opportunity to hold one of his birds on their arms, capturing some incredible photos and videos. 🦅📸

4️⃣ Antoine Tan-Newl Weaving Experience: Together with Antoine, they delved into the skill of traditional weaving, spending time creating beautiful rugs, learning the intricate patterns and techniques that have been passed down through generations. A truly hands-on and creative experience. 🧶🧵

5️⃣ Cortis Vineyards: They even joined Carmel, Paul, and Alexander for a grape harvesting experience at their vineyards. They learned about the delicate process of grape selection, harvesting, and enjoyed eating plenty of fresh grapes straight from the vines. 🍇✨

Each day has been a new adventure, full of discoveries and learning. Thank you, Jade, Céline and Pauline for choosing Merill! 🙏💙

07/08/2024

It's been a week since our dedicated interns joined a cleanup day at St. Paul's Bay, organised by why iGaming. Here's a snapshot of their impactful day:

🌅 Met the organisers kickstarting the cleanup with bags from CleanMalta.
⏰ Hopped on a traditional Maltese boat with fellow volunteers.
🌞 Arrived at St. Paul's Island, splitting into groups to tackle litter under the hot sun. They found plastic and glass bottles, pipes, paint pots, shotgun cartridges, and even clothing... amongst other treasures!
🌊 Break time: Took a refreshing dip in the clear waters before resuming their cleanup mission.
🚮 On return they hauled the collected trash to a dumpster.
🍻 Afterward headed to nearby bar to unwind, share a drink, and celebrate their hard work.

A highly productive day with 960 kilos of waste collected! This experience not only helped protect our local environment but also brought the team closer. Well done Pauline, Céline and Jade - together with all volunteers and everyone involved. 💪🌍

29/07/2024

With Chef Anthony... another true ambassador for local products, showcasing the best our country has to offer through his dishes 💙

Cafe Jubilee Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil

08/07/2024

A couple of months have passed, and we’ve said goodbye to two more incredible interns, Ema and Lucy, from the University of Malta . Despite their shorter stay, they quickly became committed members of our team. We're thrilled that Ema has decided to continue helping with our members' tours and experiences, showing how much she cares about our country and community!

Thank you, Ema and Lucy, for your hard work and enthusiasm. We look forward to seeing the positive impact you'll continue to make!

14/06/2024

We just objected to this proposed amendment. Apart from other obvious reasons (health, air quality, congestion, over population), we objected on the grounds that this is not in line with the current National Tourism Strategy (2021 – 2030) and we expect Malta Tourism Authority, Visit Malta and other public and private stakeholders who are talking about sustainable tourism to also voice their concerns.

Object now, it takes just 2 minutes 👇🏼

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Din l-Art Helwa and Il-Kollettiv are encouraging the public to object to this change in policy by sending an email with this text to [email protected] until this coming Monday June 17:

I, the undersigned, do not agree with the proposed amendment of policy P35 of DC15.

The revision of policy P35 will result in an increase in the number of floors from those stipulated and deemed permissible through the Local Plans. This blanket increase of one floor on all sites designated as 1,2 or 3 floors threatens to undermine the architectural heritage, character and amenity of several towns and villages across Malta and Gozo.

The streets among those most affected by the policy change are those characterised by rows of traditional townhouses. The policy amendment will enable the approval of 5-storey apartment blocks on these typically low-lying streetscapes. In addition to negatively impact the visual harmony of these distinct locations, the policy change will transform several towns and villages into more crowded and congested areas than envisaged under current legislation.

We respectfully urge the Authority to retain the existing policy and adhere to the Local Plan limitations. Policy amendments must prioritise sustainable development that enhances, rather than diminishes, the distinctive charm and character of Malta and Gozo.

Baxx baxx mingħajr ma nduna ħadd, Clint Camilleri jipproponi riforma li tippermetti l-bini ta’ iżjed sulari. L-impatt fuq l-irħula se jkun diżastruż.

28/05/2024

Merill was present at the Policy Action Lab : « Bringing the Rural Pact closer to citizens » in Brussels! 🇧🇪

We had an incredible time reflecting on innovative ways to implement the Rural Pact at the local level. The event was filled with inspiring speeches and engaging discussions that motivated us to think deeply about the future of our rural communities. 🌱

A big thank you to the Rural Pact Support Office and the organising team for such a nice event. We are excited to bring these new insights and ideas back to Malta! 🙌

24/05/2024

Join us tomorrow morning at Festa Fjuri 2024 Iklin with our very own Bizzilla Girls and Antoine tan-Newl in collaboration with Kunsill Reġjonali Lvant.

Ingħaqdu magħna għada filgħodu għal Festa Fjuri 2024 , ġewwa l-Iklin ma' Bniet Bizzilla u Antoine tan-Newl b'kollaborazzjoni mal-Kunsill Reġjonali Lvant!

🌸 Ingħaqad magħna fil-Festa Fjuri fl-Iklin! 🌸

📅 Data: 25 ta' Mejju
⏰ Ħin: 09:00 – 14:00
📍 Post: Triq Anton Buttigieg/Pjazza Ninu Cremona

Għal Festa Fjuri ħa nkunu preżenti flimkien ma' Merill Rural Network, Antoine Tan-Newl u Bniet Bizzilla. Titflifx dan l-avveniment!



Gvern Lokali | Kunsill Lokali L-Iklin | Merill Rural Network

22/05/2024

It's hard to believe that a month has already passed since Chloé's and Océane's internships concluded. Since then, our members have been exceptionally busy with a series of experiences, activities, and tours alongside our sister enterprise, Malta Rural Tours, making this post a bit overdue.

Throughout their internship, Chloé and Océane immersed themselves fully in our network, grasping the essence of working with the rural community in a sustainable manner and contributing significantly. Words cannot fully express our gratitude for these two French interns who demonstrated an extraordinary level of commitment, setting a new standard for future interns.

On behalf of our co-founders, Christian and Jeanette, along with all the Merill members and the MRT teams, we wish Chloé and Océane every success in their future endeavours.

We are confident that we will find opportunities to collaborate even further in the future.

06/04/2024

🎥 The crew from L-Intrapriża recently met Merill co-founder Christian to uncover the essence of our social enterprise and explore some of the stories behind the products grown and crafted by our members together with the rural tourism services that they offer.

Join us behind the scenes with these exclusive photos! 😉📷

If you missed the program, don't worry, you can catch the replay using the link below. Please note that while the program is in Maltese, we will soon have English subtitles available . 🇲🇹

Special thanks to Lino Mintoff who showed great interest in discovering and presenting the network and Joe Tanti from Malta Business Bureau for his unwavering support.

Featured in this episode are Tan-Nixxiegħa Olive Grove, Ta-Zeppi Farm. and Falzon Bakery - Rabat. 💙🩵

Silvio Schembri
The Malta Chamber
Malta Enterprise
Visit Malta

23/03/2024

Here's an idea for an Easter holidays treat...

🗓Saturday 6th April
🫒Olive Grove Tour and Olive Oil Tasting
📌Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Wardija

💙🩵

Step into Malta's culinary heritage at Bidni Olive Grove, where the endemic Bidni olive tree thrives. Learn about the rich legacy of the Bidni olive tree, unique to the Maltese islands. Get an insider's look into the meticulous craft of extra virgin olive oil production. Understand what goes into ma...

01/03/2024

13/02/2024

Meet our truly hardworking interns, Chloé and Océane! 🌟 They're gaining valuable experiences with our members and partners... currently helping out at the Mediterranean Culinary Academy for a special Valentine's cooking class.👩‍🍳

Welcome to the team girls! 💙

08/02/2024

Excited to be part of an essential conversation on Malta's tourism industry and its long-term sustainability! Grateful to Mediterranean Academy of Culture, Technology and Trade for inviting us to share our insights and experiences in this field, aligning with our commitment to one of our core pillars - Education and Internships. Let's collaborate for a brighter and better future! 🌍📚

It is with great pleasure that we announce the participation of our CEO Sergio Passariello in the next seminar of the 1st level university master's degree in "Turismo sostenibile e comunicazione della bellezza. Esperienze Euro-mediterranee", directed by Prof. Vincenzo Pepe. The event, which will be held tomorrow 9 February 2024, will be an unmissable opportunity to discuss sustainable tourism practices in Malta.

We are particularly enthusiastic about having contributed to the organization of this seminar, the first event that is part of the Memorandum of Understanding and collaboration with the Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche - Università Vanvitelli di Caserta directed by Prof. Francesco d'Ippolito. We would like to express our gratitude to Dr. Ester Tamasi of Visit Malta and Dr. Silvia Gilberti of the Merill Rural Network for accepting our invitation to share their valuable experiences and knowledge. Their sessions on "Malta: autenticità mediterranea per uno sviluppo sostenibile" and "Il turismo rurale a Malta: il caso di Merill Rural Network" will enrich the debate with significant insights.

We thank all those who put passion and dedication into organizing this seminar.
https://www.mactt.eu/
https://www.unicampania.it/

20/01/2024

We're bursting with pride and excitement as we announce that our Rural Tourism Network has been crowned the Best Practice from Malta in the Tourism4.0 Awards! Our co-founder Christian was in Porto to attend the event.

This is a testament to our dedication to digitalisation, and we're not stopping there! With the commitment to empower even more members of our unique network, the recent funding and subsequent actions are opening doors for us to scale up and catalyse positive impacts like never before.

A heartfelt shoutout to Malta Business Bureau especially Mr. Joe Tanti and Ms. Martina Spiteri, NEST Portugal, Federturismo Confindustria and all the other partners that managed this inspiring project.

Together, let's harness this award as a stepping stone to greater heights of success, innovation, and positive impact!

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11/10/2023

October always brings a buzz of activity for our network members! ☀️ 🚜🍷

30/09/2023

Meet the newest member of the Merill Rural Network: The Żammit Family of Verdant Grove Farm in Qala 🌿
We're thrilled to welcome the Żammit family to our growing community of farmers, breeders, and artisans in the Maltese Islands!* 🌟

👨‍🌾 With deep agricultural roots in Gozo, the Żammit family recently embarked on an exciting journey, establishing their own olive grove, Verdant Grove Farm, just 18 years ago. 🌳🫒 Rooted in tradition and a passion for sustainable farming, they've made it their mission to share the beauty and heritage of their olive grove with all of you. 🇲🇹

🌍 Join us in celebrating their commitment to preserving local traditions and supporting the rural community. Stay tuned for the incredible experiences they're offering, where you can immerse yourself in the world of olive cultivation and taste the richness of Maltese culture. 🍽️🎉

Let's give a warm Merill welcome to the Żammit family! 💚👏



*…well at least according to AI! Read more in the comments section.

23/09/2023

It's time for some olive harvesting!

Wishing all growers and everyone engaged in the pressing industry a bountiful season. 🫒

Special mention to the guys at Tal-Kanċillier The Olive Press Malta underneath Mdina - members within our network and the trusted press for Tan-Nixxiegħa Olive Grove and award-winning Bidni Extra Virgin Olive Oil! 💙