Agricultural Youngsters Oriented Ultimate Training Handbook (AGRI-YOUTH) Leonardo da Vinci - 2013-1-TR1-LEO05-47516

1. 1
“TORRE COLOMBAIA”: ORGANIC FARMING, BIODIVERSITY,
TRADITON AND INNOVATION IN THE GREEN HEART OF ITALY
MODULE 2
CASE STUDY-1

2. 2
TORRE COLOMBAIA
FARM DESCRIPTION
HISTORY AND FARM DESCRIPTION
The farm, about 160 hectares, is in the surroundings of Perugia, capital of
Umbria, a region in the middle of Italy. The environment of Torre Colombaia is
one of the last samples of “ranco”, a large secular wood owned for centuries by
the Benedictine friars, protecting the cultivations from stormy winds. In 1987 the
traditional farm was converted to organic agriculture to follow an ecological
feeling of the owner Alfredo Fasola Bologna, graduated in Political Sciences and
with previous work experience in a trade union.
The cultivation planning was based on rotation principles, by producing spelt, old
kinds of wheat and sunflower, lentils and other leguminous plants. Sheep were
hold grazing to increase the natural fertilizaty of the soil. On the border of the
property, at the entrance, little old houses once used for hunting, were restored
by sticking to the essentials to start agritourism accommodation.
A farm house was restored to develop the agritourism
activity, also including a restaurant offering traditional
recipes made of organic ingredients. Also didactic
farm activities were offered to schools and ecological
tourists based on organic farming and biodiversity
learning by walking between the fields, the wood and
the pond and observing natural landscapes, flowers
and protected fauna.

3. 3
TORRE COLOMBAIA
FARM DESCRIPTION
DATA & FIGURES OVERVIEW
PROPERTY EXTENT
160 Hectares
100 wood
60 cultivations
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Wheat , Khorasan , Spelt , Millet , Barley , Flax , Sunflower
Lentils , Broad Bean , Alfalfa
FOOD PRODUCTS
Sunflower oil , Flax oil , Flour , Noodles
NON-FOOD PRODUCTS
Energy from photovoltaic panels
Source INEA 2013

4. 4
TORRE COLOMBAIA
FARM DESCRIPTION
DATA & FIGURES OVERVIEW
ACTIVITIES
Agriculture (organic ICEA certification)
Agritourism
Agricamping
Photovoltaic Energy Production
Didactic farm (trekking, guided visits and bread laboratory)
Authorization and certification Umbria Regional Law 13/2005
Holistic courses (yoga)
AGRITOURISM ACCOMMODATIONS
5 small houses (previously hunting houses)
5 double rooms
26 beds available
Restaurant (on demand for guests)
COMMERCIALISATION
Bioshop (Torre Colombaia)
GAS (Solidal Purchase Groups – National network)
Direct Export (Germany, Switzerland, USA, ..)

5. 5
TORRE COLOMBAIA
FARM DESCRIPTION
DATA & FIGURES OVERVIEW
TURNOVER (2013)
€ 185,000 from food production
€ 37,000 from agritourism
€ 53,000 from energy production
-------------
Total € 275,000
GRANTS (RURAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN UMBRIA 2007-2013)
€ 15,000 Measure 214 (annual support)
€ …….. Measure 227 (under evaluation)
€ 45,000 (of € 56,250 eligible) Action B Investments for wood
valorisation as public utility
Source Region Umbria

6. 6
TORRE COLOMBAIA
PROCESS GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION
MARKETING
&
COMMERCIALISATION
ADMINISTRATION
AGRITOURISM
&
DIDACTIC FARM
ORGANIC FARMING
BODIVERSITY
&
FOOD
KEY PROCESSES
SUPPORT PROCESSES

7. 7
TORRE COLOMBAIA
KEY PROCESS DESCRIPTION
ORGANIC FARMING, BIODIVERSITY&
FOODProcess Description Competence Description Level
Knowledge on basic organic
farming laws and certification
procedures
To be able to respect the procedures
for organic farming certification
2
Seasonal works (tilling, digging,
weeding, mowing-cutting) and
crop rotation (i.e. wheat-alfalfa ;
barley-broad bean)
To be able to perform sustainable
mechanical operations according to
the organic procedures and rational
crop rotation
2
Use of biomass for composting To be able to use biomass (pruning,
grass mowing, animal manure, cut
straw) for composting
2
Enrichment with organic fertilizers
without use of synthetic chemicals
To be able to perform a rational
fertilization for planned cultivations
2
Plant sowing based on planned
organic cultivations
To be able to plan and perform plant
sowing for planned organic crops
2

8. 8
Process Description Competence Description Level
Pests and parasites control based
on organic farming protection (list
of authorized technical means)
To be able to recognise and control
pests and parasites and use the
correct organic protection means
3
Harvest and transport to the farm
storage and conditioning centre
To be able to organise and perform
harvest and transport to the farm
storage and conditioning centre
3
Cleaning, separating, selecting the
products (wheat, barley, spelt,
millet, khorasan, flax, sunflower,
lentils)
To be able to perform cleaning,
separation and selection of the
products
3
Processing by mill the cereals for
flour (wheat, spelt, khorasan)
To be able to perform cereal meal
supply chain
3
Processing by cold pressing and
bottling seed oils (sunflower, flax)
To be able to perform cold pressing
and bottling seed oils
3
TORRE COLOMBAIA
KEY PROCESS DESCRIPTION
ORGANIC FARMING, BIODIVERSITY&
FOOD

9. 9
Process Description Competence Description Level
Processing cereals for packed dry
noodles (pasta factory in
outsourcing)
To be able to transport and let process
cereals (wheat, spelt, khorasan) for
packed dry noodles
2
Vacuum packing of dry cereals
and legumes (spelt, millet, barley,
khorasan, lentils)
To be able to pack under vacuum dry
cereals and legumes
3
Technical management and
control of all the organic farming
and processing competences
To be able to manage the complete
organic farming and processing issues
4
Solar energy production from
photovoltaic panels for processing
machines and domestic power
To be able to manage the use of
renewable energy sources for food
production and agritourism
4
TORRE COLOMBAIA
KEY PROCESS DESCRIPTION
ORGANIC FARMING, BIODIVERSITY&
FOOD

10. 10
TORRE COLOMBAIA
KEY PROCESS DESCRIPTION
AGRITOURISM & DIDACTIC FARM
Process Description Competence Description Level
Maintainance and management of
the houses, rooms, woods and
spaces devoted to agritourism and
agricamping
To be able to maintain and manage
the buildings and spaces devoted to
agritourism and agricamping
2
Customer reception and needs
satisfation
To be able to receive guests and
manage their staying at agritourism
3
Restaurant management and
choice of season organic
ingredients for traditional menus
To be able to manage the restaurant
and choose season organic
ingredients for traditional menu
3
Guided visits and didactic
teaching on natural and
agricultural issues
To be able to manage guided visits
and didactic programs of learning for
schools and groups
3
Farm laboratories for schools and
groups (i.e. bread laboratory)
To be able to manage practical baking
and cooking laboratories
3

11. 11
Process Description Competence Description Level
Bookkeeping and administration
(pay slips in outsourcing)
To be able to manage bookkeeping
and farm administration
3
Organic certification procedures
(linked to external control)
To be able to manage the organic
certification procedures
3
Agritourism procedure documents To be able to manage the agritourism
procedure documents
3
Haccp produre documents To be able to manage the foos
production and restaurant produre
documents
3
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
ADMINISTRATION

12. 12
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
MARKETING & COMMERCIALISATION
Process Description Competence Description Level
Marketing of organic farming
products
To be able to lead the marketing of the
organic farming products
4
Management supervision and
commercial organisation of buying
goods and selling products
To be able to supervise and manage
the commercial organisation of the
4
Marketing of the agritourism
accommodation and services
To be able to manage the agritourism
activities (internet contacts with
clients, customer communication and
satisfaction)
4

13. 13
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
CORPORATE FLOWCHART
Farmer/Owner
Marketing-Supervision
Agronomist
Technical/Commercial
Management
Organic Certification
outsourcing
Open ended contract workers
(1 tractor driver, 1 mill & oil process)
Seasonal workers
(2 farming activities, 1 production processes)
Pay slips-Adm.files
outsourcing
Agritourism
management
Didactic farm
management

14. 14
TORRE COLOMBAIA
INNOVATION & SWOT ANALYSIS
KIND OF INNOVATION STRENGTHS &
OPPORTUNITIES
WEAKS &
THREATS
Torre Colombaia was
one of the first organic
farms, agritourism and
didactic farm in Umbria.
Packed dry cereals and
noodles are “classic”
products. The owner
has an holistic and
global vision and his
last challenges are
oriented today to the
nutraceutical niche
markets by producing
cold pressing seed oils
from sunflower and flax,
rich in antioxidants.
Renowned trade mark
for organic products
since many years.
Excellent quality.
Innovative nutraceutical
products. Agritourism
and didactic farm
contribute to business.
The commercialisation
is still underdeveloped
and the bio-shops are
still not so largely
common in Umbria and
close regions. Farm
markets are old
fashioned.
Further projects to
enlarge storage cooling
and conditioning
containers and a large
platform balance. New
markets: after Germany
and USA, Japan and
China.
The high quality
nutraceutical products
are still can be also
offered by conventional
agriculture at lower
prices.

15. 15
TORRE COLOMBAIA
FARMER’S ADVICE
“Organic farming,
sustainable production
and environmental
protection are
different faces
of the same strategic
farm vision”
“Consumers are
to be aware how
important can be
genuine health food,
biodiversity protection,
heritage recipes,
natural landscapes and
use of renewable
energy sources”
“Even use of funding
is to be ecologically
oriented: farmers
have to adfirm own
absolutely necessary
role for the rural
communities and
the whole society”

16. 16
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
PHOTO GALLERY & VIDEO

17. 17
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
PHOTO GALLERY & VIDEO

18. 18
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
PHOTO GALLERY & VIDEO

19. 19
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
PHOTO GALLERY & VIDEO
Flax oil productionFlax oil productionFlax oil production
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuXNbHY_qA4 FLAX SEED OIL

20. 20
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
PHOTO GALLERY & VIDEO
Sunflower oil production

21. 21
TORRE COLOMBAIA
SUPPORT PROCESS DESCRIPTION
PHOTO GALLERY & VIDEO
Agritourism activities