We publish this article, in its English translation, courtesy of the author and of the magazine HuffPost, which we thank, where it was published in the Italian version on February 6^th.

It's called "smart working + farm supporting" and it's the latest frontier in remote work. The formula refers to the word "farm": it is in fact about distance working staying for free in farms specially equipped to accommodate smart workers, with all the comforts as well as a powerful wi-fi network. Too good to be true? The fact that it is a free proposal could, in fact, raise suspicions.

Federico Pisanty, creator of Borgo Office, the first platform that combines the need to work remotely of digital nomads with the offer of hospitality in rural areas, clarifies how it works to HuffPost: "In reality it is a form of 'quid pro quo' because the smart workers, although not obliged, are invited to support the structure by buying packages with typical products. In this way, they 'pay back' and help the local reality".

The stay is actually zero cost, but Pisanty is convinced that a virtuous circle can easily be created between digital nomads and facility owners. "The guest - he explains - can freely decide whether or not to buy the support package, and therefore the product basket. At the moment, we have three cuts: 100, 200 or 400 euros. The model is based on the fact that guests becomes attached to the place where they are and are morally enticed to buy the farm's products. Easily they become customers and sometimes they continue to by also once returned to their houses, from distance. Doing so activates a virtuous mechanism also for the town where the farm is located, thanks to the growth of smart working tourism". The free stay packages offered today are three and range from one night to the weekend to the entire week, but Pisanty says that they are considering the opportunity to organize stays for longer periods, up to six months.

But isn't there a risk that smart workers might take advantage of the free stay and leave without even buying a single basket? The answer is yes, but so far it hasn't occurred: "Even though we've only been up and running for a few months, we've noticed," Pisanty tells us, "that those who receive a gift (in this case, free hospitality) naturally want to repay the giver. We're banking on that." If it will be an overly optimistic choice, only time will tell. At the moment, the adhesions are numerous both from farms and from those who want to try working from a different place than their own home.

From North to South, including the islands, there are ten operating structures and the goal is to reach thirty by the end of the year. Pisanty reiterates that the main interest is to promote the small towns, for a twofold reason: "They are the ones that most often suffer from depopulation. On the other hand, they are also the ones where people work best, where nature and peace rule the day". The task of Borgo Office is to select, inside wonderful small towns, structures suitable to host remote workers, so that they offer comforts such as wi-fi, printers, panoramic work desks and other services. Borgo Office provides a commission only on the first purchase of "support packages" of the customer in the farm; then it will require, only from the second year of affiliation of the structure to the portal, a modest fee for the presence on the online showcase.

"Away from the cities: our future lies in the old small towns": this is how the platform's website quotes Stefano Boeri, architect and urban planner. And here are all the enchanted villages to explore: starting from Caldonazzo, in Trentino, a center lying in the floodplain of Centa, at the southern end of the lake of the same name. Going down in the province of Brescia (Lombardy), we pass through Bagolino, an ancient medieval village located in the upper Valle Sabbia, not far from Lake Idro. In the province of Alessandria (Piedmont), on the hills of Tortona, where Timorasso grapes are cultivated and baci di dama are produced, there is Paderna. Another historic village is Bertinoro, less than 10 miles from Forlì (Emilia Romagna), known as the "Balcony of Romagna" for its enchanting view of the entire Romagna plain. Continuing southwards, we arrive at Staffolo, a medieval town on the top of a hill about 25 miles from Ancona (Marche) and awarded the Orange Flag for the quality of tourism and the Green Flag for agriculture. Going beyond the Apennines, the proposal of Borgo Office falls on Sarteano (Tuscany), a small town in the Siena area between Valdichiana and Val d'Orcia whose profile is dominated by the fifteenth-century castle. In Lazio, the destination suggested to smart workers is Tuscania, an ancient village that rises on tufa rock promontories 200 yards above sea level, while in Molise you can stay and work in Oratino, in the province of Campobasso, an isolated town on a cliff in the Biferno Valley. Finally, for island lovers, two farms are ready to welcome digital nomads: Aci Trezza, a picturesque fishing village a few miles from Catania (Sicily) where Giovanni Verga set his famous novel "I Malavoglia"; and Gavoi, a village surrounded by the mountains of Gennargentu in the heart of Sardinia, at an altitude of 875 yards (Nuoro is about 18 miles away) and in the middle of an area of over three thousand hectares covered for two thirds by woods. In short, there is something for everyone, so why give up? "In this model - reiterates Pisanty – everyone’s a winner".