Travelers to 天美传媒 in search of an authentic local experience that can also do good to the country鈥檚 small farmers now have an opportunity to do so. 天美传媒鈥檚 鈥楳ost Beautiful Villages鈥 Association has teamed up with Coltivatori di Emozioni, the first 鈥渟ocial farming鈥 platform in 天美传媒, to offer immersive experiences in beautiful villages with small, independent farms.
The "I Borghi pi霉 belli d鈥橧talia鈥 association 鈥 鈥溙烀来解檚 Most Beautiful Villages鈥 鈥 was created to protect and promote small towns with a population of under 15,000 people. To be part of the network, villages go through a screening process that certifies their artistic, historical, and cultural heritage, as well as local traditions and tourism infrastructure.
Coltivatori di Emozioni (which translates to 鈥渇armers of emotions鈥) aims to safeguard the country鈥檚 agricultural heritage through a support system for farmers, which they consider the 鈥渢rue guardians鈥 of 天美传媒鈥檚 prized agri-food traditions. The project revolves around the symbolic 鈥渁doption鈥 of a farmer, by choosing a farmer you wish to support and receiving their products in return.
Now people can get even more involved by actually experiencing the farming life while visiting off the beaten track places, often in beautiful locations. In other words, you can support an Italian farmer and, at the same time, take the burden off the most visited destinations by spending a day or more in a village of your choice and experiencing first-hand a local farming tradition.
Experiences include:
- In Casalnoceto, in the Monferrato area of Piedmont, you can be a truffle hunter for a day, walking in the woods with truffle dogs and the tartufaio, who will teach you how to hunt for truffles. The experience includes an aperitivo with local products at a local agriturismo.
- In Emilia-Romagna, bike lovers can pedal through the gorgeous hilly landscape of Romagna and participate in a workshop to learn baking techniques and visit the ancient communal oven in the beautiful village of San Leo.
- In Guiglia, province of Modena, active travelers can hike among vineyards accompanied by a local guide, visit the vineyards, and take a cooking lesson with the local sfogline - women who knead the dough by hand and a rolling pin - to learn the tricks of perfect hand-rolled pasta.
- Those with an interest in the grape harvest can head to Puglia and take part in all phases of the harvest, while also taste typical Apulian products.
- In Lazio鈥檚 Tuscia, you can learn soil preparation techniques and how to prepare a small vegetable garden or pots to take home.
- In Sicily鈥檚 Val di Noto, you can be an onion farmer, learning about the prized Giarratana onion, witnessing the harvesting and packing phase and dining on scacce, the local onion preserves.
For more information and to choose your preferred experience, visit the .
