Short Schedule Farm/Company

Name: Azienda Agricola Augusto Desiderio “Masseria Sant’Angelo” Web site: www.aziendaaugustodesiderio.com

Place

Country: Italy Region: Molise City: Portocannone - Termoli

Product Type FRUITS: Apricots, peaches, apples, pears, grapes, etc… HORTICULTURE: olive, vegetables, cereals, forages

Reference year 1964 1980: Organic and Biodynamic agriculture

2.1.3. Agro-tourism and Training Farm as means for Product Promotion

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Farm description

Start point/Challange

Successful elements

Output/Effects

Organic and Biodynamic agriculture/ Product placement/Distribution channels/Direct sale

Desiderio farm

Farm Description

Located in the Center-Est of Italy, in the MOLISE Region between the territories of Termoli, Portocannone, Guglionesi and San Martino in Pensilis, this agricultural enterprise has a family management since 3 generations. It is structured on 4 productive structures, whose business centre is located in Portocannone. The founder was born in 1920 from a family of farmers and he bought the first small lands in Portocannone in 1964, in order to start some cultivations and businesses of strawberry and peaches. In these adventure he was soon supported by the workforce of his 3 sons: Maurizio, Walter and Augusto, who helped him as much as possible trying to match together their studies duties and their involvement in the farm work. The enterprise represents one of the most significative productive structures of “Organic and Bio-dynamic Agriculture” in the whole Molise Region. The main activities: - CULTIVATION - PRODUCTION - COMMERCIALIZATION AND SALES OF ORGANIC AND BIO-DYNAMICAL ORTICULTURE AND FRUIT CULTIVATION PRODUCTS - ANIMALS BREEDING - AGRITOURISM ACTIVITIES - TRAINING AND DIDACTICAL ACTIVITIES Desiderio’s productions are certified by the monitoring and control institution called DEMETER for the bio-dynamic method, and by the CODEX institution for the organic method.

Key Words Target group definition/Marketing strategies/Marketing mix/Product added value/

Promotion strategies/Promotion channels

Agri-tourism and Training Farm as means for Product Promotion and for creating product added value Why is The business of cultivating and producing rough agricultural materials as well as semi finished products was supported by a small agri-tourism activity much more oriented towards the promotion of products and as a support for realization of training activities, rather than a purely tourist business

the topic interesting?

The Agri-tourism common area – Living

room

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Start Point This farm is a “family based business” which has been passed down from the previous generation of grand-grandfather FLAVIO DESIDERIO in a very suggestive location in Molise Region, which is Portocannone nearby the town of Termoli.

Farm description

Start point/Challange The enterprise is raised on the structures of the ancient “Masseria Sant’Angelo” which is an old typology of farm building, and it carries out also AGRITOURISM Activities Successful elements

The starting structure of the farm in Portocannone consisted in a Colonial House, stables for few animals (cows) and a small storage building. now the farm is larger in extension of cultivations and has moreover:

Output/Effects

- restructured the Colonial House - built up a building for Agro-tourism activities - 2 stables for cows - built up storage buildings for products of fruit and vegetables and for fertilizing rough materials used for the organic cultivation in accordance with rules foreseen for both organic and bio-dynamical cultivation methods, - Building for agricultural tools, instruments and tractors, - Equipped Areas for the processing and production of fruit and vegetables, - Refrigerator Cells for stocking and storing of fresh fruit and vegetables

The agritourism

Challenge

Since the farm has been developed around the ancient structures of a typically local colonial house called “Masseria Sant’Angelo”, during the late ‘80ies, together with the choice of the management for innovating their cultivations according with biodynamic and organic farming rules, it was then asked for an inspection from the ministry of agriculture according to national rules and laws - framework law n° 730/85 -. The need for providing also an agro-tourism service rose from the fact that the farm export activities kept intense relationships with a foreign clientele, and from this typology of clients derived a demand for hospitality structures. RECALL! For this reason, beyond few rooms for accommodations, the structure was organized also with a restaurant service which uses the farm’s product.

The reason for developing an agri-tourism activity has This represents an opportunity for clients to taste directly products and

support their decision to buy. to be searched in the interests of

foreign wholesale client to taste the products before

buying

Moreover, the enterprise is continuously available with its competences and knowledge in order to support the realization of training activities for students of the educational, vocational training and university systems. In particular it has a consolidated cooperation with Agricultural and Tourism high schools (vocational and technical), providing apprenticeship and stage periods for students.

In this way a sort of direct sale

channel has been opened for

promoting all kinds of products. University Students and Teachers/Professors of the Agriculture faculty of

Campobasso University have been received several times in the enterprise for study visits, apprenticeship, practical lessons etc… In cooperation with the Agricultural High School of San Severo of Foggia the enterprise has realized a training course of integrated higher education for Conservative Horticulture and Fruit cultivation and production. Theoretical and Practical lessons have been carried out for participants.

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Successful elements

The enterprise is raised on the structures of the ancient “Masseria Sant’Angelo” which is an old typology of farm building, where it carries out both AGROTOURISM Activities as well as training activities.

Farm description

Start point/Challange In this sense the “hospitality vocation” of both the structure and the family who manage the farm, has been exploited with great involvement in both opportunities:

Successful elements

1. for direct sales to big buyer coming from foreign markets Output/Effects 2. as well as for self promotion with the universities, educational and

vocational training institutions (in the persons of teachers, trainers, trainees and their families) who participate or organize study visits, training experiences or on-the-job exercise with students IN EVIDENCE

The need for

developing an The success and turnover is guaranteed by the fact that: 1. foreign buyers enter into direct contact with the structure, the

management, the workers and can touch and follow the entire production process, gaining trustfulness and consolidating their business;

agri-tourism service raised up from the

detention of significative market

quotas in foreign markets (in particular Germany and Holland),

showing hospitality needs and demand.

2. during training activities, teachers, trainers and professors, together with students or trainees and – indirectly – their families enter into direct contact with the entire production process, and become on their own new single buyers of product on direct sales

The Agri-tourism structure offers:

restaurant services produced with the

enterprise’ own products, and

accomodation in several rooms

The agritourism flyer

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Output/Effects

Farm description

Start point/Challange

Successful elements

Output/Effects

The products of the farm “Azienda Agricola Augusto Desiderio – MASSERIA SANT’ANGELO” are directly tasted by clients of direct sales, including those big buyers from foreign markets or possible clients among participants to training activities and indirectly their relatives The farm’s products have qualities highly appreciable just tasting them; this has been proved in different occasions organizing “tasting sessions” using the farm’s products. In this occasion it has been possible to prove the quality of the product and their lovely taste which resulted to be in line with the consumers’ preferences

Discussion Questions/Remarks

There are many ways of promoting a company or farm or its products. Try to involve the participants in a collective discussion and to make a lists of these ways than Compare some of them assessing whether they priority area for you and whether they need further improvement. For example: list the different “Promotional areas” (for example: Organisation name. logo and design, colours and typefaces; Product names and varieties; Price lists, Point of sale materials, Magazines and newsletters; etc…) and than define the level of Priority (High; Mid; Low) and in case of farmers and existing productions also the “Current level” (Good; OK; acceptable; Bad)

http://www.agritourismitaly.com/ http://www.agrimondial.com/Agrotourisme-Agritourisme/index.html http://www.politicheagricole.gov.it/Urp/Imprenditoria/20090318_vendita_diretta.htm http://www.fattoriedidattiche.net/ Agraria www.agraria.it Integrated services for agriculture Foodcontact www.foodcontact.com Foodfront www.foodfront.com Fruitcom www.fruitecom.it Italy www.euroinfocentre.it Eco-tourism sites: www.organicholidays.com www.ardea.toscana.it www.boscaglia.it www.pindorama.org/ www.traterraecielo.it

Further investigations

K e y p o i n t s f o r t r a n s f e r a b i l i t y - Orientation towards foreign markets for selling semi-finished goods - highlight eventual quality certifications to attract foreign buyers and stimulate them to enter into direct contact with the structure, management and workers; - The importance of certifications in Organic or Bio-dynamic agricultural products - Organic and Bio-dynamic certification - Being family farm and thinking as an enterprise with future projections - Identify possibilities of funding for the implementation of more tourism related activities which can benefit of the agricultural production (for example funding for the start up of agro-tourism structures)