In the Advanced Chef Training Course at CAST, my daughter Camilla and I bring 40 years of experience and passion for organic farming,
with the goal of sharing the value of good, responsible food.
We teach students agricultural techniques based on a responsible and sustainable production model that highlights the biodiversity of local territories, helping them develop a high-quality gastronomic offering.
Three key technical skills:
-
Assessing land potential
-
Understanding the growth stages of a crop
-
Preventing damage from weather events
Three essential managerial skills:
-
Creating an effective crop plan
-
Managing land and landowners
-
Building empathetic relationships with end consumers
We were born in 1955 and 1985, respectively, and both grew up in Varese, always closely connected to nature.
Massimo:
From an early age, my uncles and grandparents passed down their passion for farming. I spent whole days in their fields and among the cows on their farm.
Just before completing a degree in Political Science, I bought two agronomy books—which I still keep today—to study the basics and challenges I observed in conventional farming. I then gained hands-on experience, learning directly from farmers throughout Lombardy.
In the early 1980s, together with my wife Luisa, I began my entrepreneurial journey. We secured two hectares of farmland from some friends and started a small production of organic summer vegetables. We sent a letter to about thirty friends and converted an old workshop into a sort of farm shop among the fields. This marked the beginning of our short supply chain.
We were always innovators, even as friends and colleagues stuck with conventional land exploitation methods. Some even told us that organic farming would starve both our family and the entire world.
Thirty years later, some of those same people came to us for advice and support.
In the early days of organic farming, together with other producers from Lombardy, we founded Agrivita, an Italian association of organic farmers that developed one of the first production method guidelines. We were the third farm registered in the entire region.
However, we also felt the need for a public certification standard. So, we helped establish a Certification Committee involving several northern Italian regions.
In 1994, we created Ortus, a consortium of farms that still brings together producers from Lombardy to Trentino and even Sicily, expanding the range of products offered. We continue to be a key reference point for the consortium.
The 2008 financial crisis did not impact us. In fact, it marked a turning point, with rapid growth in both sales and consumer awareness. We successfully created a zero-waste system, selling everything we produced.
The following year, we launched our website and began our own small but significant digital revolution, offering transparent direct sales with pricing that values labor without falling into speculation.
Camilla joined the business in 2013 after earning a degree in Philosophy. She works in the fields, bringing her understanding of customer needs and preferences, which she continually gathers through direct contact in our farm shop.
Today, the business employs six people and has gained recognized expertise in crop planning and the development of effective cultivation plans.
During the winter months, we also dedicate time to maintaining and preserving the local forests.
Source of inspiration:
The previous generations of our family—our first teachers.
The greatest challenge:
Controlling fungi and keeping pests away.
Vegetables to highlight:
Kale, black cabbage, and beets.
Our favorite vegetables:
Radicchio, cabbage, broccoli, and leafy greens.
A little-known fact about our work (that makes all the difference):
The hoe is the best school for learning new technologies.
Debunking a common myth in the industry:
Organic produce isn’t just for the wealthy.