The educational arm of the Azienda Agricola La Fiorida Bionatura Valtellina has been recognised through its accreditation on the circuit of Educational Farms ("Fattorie Didattiche") in the Lombardy region. An accredited Educational Farm is one which runs teaching and training activities alongside its traditional agricultural work, meeting the quality standards laid down in the group's Charter.

The Charter details the requirements expected of the farm, from its production methods to staff training and preparatory work for the schools, the reception and the health and safety aspects of all parts of the operation.

The farm becomes a ‘big open air workshop' in which the theory and practice are learnt together, creating a stimulating inter-reaction between the children's inquisitiveness and the farmer's experience.

The aim of the farm school is to inform the pupils about farm activity, animal life and the work and techniques involved in food production while, at the same time, educating them about being a consumer and respecting the environment. And this all takes place in an authentic and natural environment. The sessions that we have devised for nursery, junior and secondary schools are much more than a simple visit of discovery: they are courses focusing on particular themes including work activities designed to stimulate the curiosity of our young students and to get them involved.



A full day in the company of friends and teachers, spent contentedly in contact with nature and farm animals, discovering their secrets and playing in the midst of a fantastic setting. For the day, the children will be accompanied by a special trainer: "the farmer" ("il contadino") who will reveal to them a new world, to be discovered by playing...

Detailed schedule of the day:

• 9.30 arrival of the group at the farm, free time to use the services and the outside area to have a quick snack;

• 10.00 start of the visit to the animals with the chance to feed and stroke them;

• 12.00 lunch, served at our outside "Calech" (traditional farmers' rest point), offering dairy and salumi cooked meet produced on the farm* with hot dished on request;

• 13.00 restart of work: the children take on the role of dairy workers and produce real cheese;

• 13.30 "Treasure Hunt" which covers the whole of the farm area, after briefing session;

• 14.30 team games in the open air or, alternatively, participation in country tasks (involving the greenhouses, berries, flowers or wood);

• 15.30 we take care of the kid goats, feeding them with hay, do the milking, and then give some milk to the youngest kids;

• 16.30 close of the day's activities with the option to make purchases from the shop (open all day from 8.00 to 19.30).

For more information and bookings ring 0342/680846 or mobile 345/2987679. (Ask for Elisa Iemoli.)
The timetable can be changed depending on the requirements of each group.

The menu offers: a hot dish with a choice of polenta and pasta with sauce, platters of cheese and fresh ‘latticini' cheeses (primizia and ricotta, or primo sale and latteria), plates of sliced cured meats (coppa and salame, or bresaola and pancetta), rye (segale) bread, fresh milk and natural water.