In the territory of Santa Elisabetta, a type of manual cultivation still survives, with natural fertilization and no chemical additives, applied to two crops that have long characterized the Agrigento region: pistachios and almonds.

The cultivation of pistachios requires considerable effort, especially during the harvesting period, when done by hand. Not due to a lack of available technology, but because in hilly areas it is more efficient to move on foot. Each harvester is equipped with a sacchìna—a fabric bag or plastic container worn around the neck to keep both hands free. With their hands, workers gather pistachios by bringing each cluster of nuts close to the bag, letting the fruit fall inside.

The full bags are then brought to the smallatura, the process in which the hull (outer skin) of the pistachios is removed. After this comes the drying stage, traditionally done by spreading the pistachios in the sun in designated natural clearings, preferably within the harvesting farms. Weather conditions must be closely monitored, as exposure to moisture can ruin the product. The harvest takes place from early August through September, coinciding with the almond harvest, which follows a similar timeframe.

Almonds, too, are gathered manually, using the traditional method of beating the branches with long wooden rods so that the nuts fall onto sheets laid out beneath the trees. The next steps—hulling, drying, and sometimes roasting—are similar to those for pistachios. Increasingly, the nuts are processed directly on-site, using artisan methods, especially manual roasting.

Pistachios and almonds have always played a crucial role in the Sicilian economy since ancient times. While pistachios have retained their value both economically and socially, almonds—once a flagship product of the Agrigento agricultural sector, especially up until the 1970s—have experienced a sharp decline. The reasons include climate change and increased competition from foreign markets.

This element has been included in the Register of Intangible Heritage of local interest of the Municipality of Santa Elisabetta, as part of Intervention 5 “Activation of the Observatory on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Territory through the application of the REIL methodology – Register of Intangible Heritage of Local Interest”, within the “Mito, storia e tradizioni agropastorali” project, funded by the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), Mission: Digitalisation, innovation, competitiveness, culture and tourism, Component: Tourism and culture 4.0, Investment 2.1 “Attractiveness of villages.” CUP: E69I22000140006.