Agricultural production

Predominant agricultural production regards the extra-virgin olive oil which has historically characterised the entire area. Actually, they used to intercrop olives with vines in the past but the latter have now disappeared. On the farm there is still a small old cellar, seemingly dating back to 1928, which has a hand press and two big vats where grapes used to be squashed into with the feet.

The oil comes from approx. 500 olive trees which are spread on 1.5 hectares of terraces but most of them were planted not so many years ago and therefore not yet in full production. Starting from mid October, the olives are harvested by hand and by all the family, taking care not to pick up those already fallen to the ground nor destroying them with sticks and poles.

An old barn of the farmhouse, till equipped with mangers and a watering system providing water to livestock, is used as a temporarily storage for olives which are not kept here for more than two days. An old hayloft upstairs is a place for storing tools and vats of Vin Santo that were used as far as fifty years ago.

Pruning
Blossoming
Flowering
Ripening
Harvesting
Olive storage
Production
Oil

The other production, which is going to be of more and more importance and which is already happening now, is the one regarding honey and, in particular, mixed flower and acacia and, in the future, chestnut and honeydew.

Moreover, approx. half a hectare of land including chestnut trees was cultivated not so long ago. This historical plant, the symbol of hills and mountains in the area of Pistoia, is not called a “tree of bread” by chance.

In spite of a serious problem of the chestnut gall wasp which is brining this plant to its knees on the European level, the idea is to produce chestnut honey as well as to cultivate chestnuts and have some improvement on landscape level.

In addition, the most common fruits and vegetables are available for domestic use and for the farmhouse guests.