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About us Plinio Vanini, the owner The Farm and Organic Agriturism Centre La Fiorida lies in one of the most picturesque areas of the Alps. The Valtellina is a location which provides peace and relaxation only a stone's throw away from Milan. In the splendid setting of the bottom of the valley - where the Orobie Alps meet the Retiche Alps, at just one step from Lake Como - the enterprise boasts one of the most beautiful positions in the Lower Valtellina. The stone and wood buildings of the Agricola La Fiorida stand near the banks of the river Adda in a context of nature and colour which is in perfect harmony with the local countryside. The enterprise can be reached by car, from the State Road (Strada Statale) 38 at Rogolo, or by bike on the delightful cycle path which connects Colico to Morbegno. The business is a pleasant staging post for those going on to the famed locations of the Upper Valtellina, in Val Chiavenna and in the Engadina, and for those who want to observe animals close up and to taste those wholesome foods which come directly from nature.  The history of the farm business "La Fiorida" is tied to the passion for animals of Plinio Vanini, author of a project which is unique of its kind in the Valtellina. Thanks to his respect for the world of animal science and the teachings he received from his grand-father Elia Ciapponi and his friend Camillo Bottà, Plinio Vanini turned his dream into reality in a small breeding farm at Sacco, in the Val Gerola, in 1983. Later, the business moved to the lower valley, to Traona, with about 40 animals. So the decision to give life to a unique project in the Valtellina all started in a small breeding farm at Sacco. From there we can trace back the birth of "La Fiorida" at Mantello.  In 2000 the cowshed: this is subdivided in order to do our best to provide good living conditions for the animals and to maximise their wellbeing. The cowshed facilities and its structure are supported by a system of control and management information. This system is aimed at producing the best monitoring arrangements possible of the 200 resident Brown Alpine cows during their daily feeding routines and in their growth patterns. The barn: this is where the hay and maize produced by the farm is kept - the harvest that comes from cultivating about 60 hectares of land in the Lower Valtellina. The cultivation of these fields allows us to produce hay and maize - the main feed for the animals - from our own resources. The piggery and the goat house: these are sub-divided into areas for the sows, the boar and for the newborns. From their birth, the latter have a heated room, the birthing room, in which they stay with the sow until they finish weaning. Today we have about 250 pigs and 50 goats. IN 2002 the first shop was opened for our dairy products. It welcomes our clients into an environment rich in Valtellina traditions. In 2003 the dairy: this enables the processing of milk to be followed as it happens. A large window into the processing area permits observation of the treatments of dairy products. In 2004 the butcher's: where work starts to produce our ‘salumi' sausage and other meats. In November 2004 there was the opening of the new shop: a building in stone and wood in perfect Valtellina style in which it is possible to buy our fresh and genuine produce. We also sell other traditional products from the Valtellina. For those who appreciate a welcoming, homely environment and the opportunity to try organic cheeses and other ‘latticini', the shop is ideal. You can take a break here and learn a little about taste and tradition. The shop is the first link towards making the chain complete... From 2006 onwards until today...the new agriturism area, with the four dining rooms of the restaurant, the twenty-nine welcoming hotel bedrooms, the three meeting rooms and the new Beauty Spa.  The Fiorida is unique of its kind not only in Italy, but also in Europe. At present the Fiorida is visited by numerous other players in the sector from all over the world. This business is seen as the feather in the cap of a philosophy which is based mainly on: the care and wellbeing of animals by giving them access to wide spaces. This liberty allows them to live as closely as they possibly can to their natural state. The enterprise covers a total area of 90,000 square metres, a space in which the animals can live in perfect harmony with nature and with the surrounding country. The quality of the ingredients and the wellbeing and healthy feeding of the animals allow us to create natural products and, above all, great quality. The compass which the enterprise follows in its production is based on the raising of cattle, of Brown Alpines, pigs, goats and horses in accordance with principles of animal wellbeing, respect for the environment and the use of milk and dairy production methods as certified by organic agriculture organisations. No less important is the processing of salumi sausage and other meat using traditional family recipes. It is from the way the cows are bred that we derive our dairy products in accordance with Valtellina traditions under PDO ( Protected Designation of Origin) status. The dairy treatment, the butchery methods and the processing of the meats all take place within the enterprise. The former can be watched as it happens by visitors thanks to a wide viewing window looking into the dairy. Our Pluses The "short chain" The Fiorida project was born with the aim of introducing innovations into the vision of "doing farming" in the animal husbandry sphere: by completing the milk and meat production chains. All that is produced in the enterprise is subject to the appropriate rigorous treatments before being offered to the customer in final product form, either in the shop or in our organic dining rooms. Using the concept of "food miles" or "food kilometres", we can talk of "products with zero kilometres". The advantages of having zero kilometres are felt both in the price and in the control which the producer carries out over the quality and freshness of everything he produces. This rigorous approach has enabled us to achieve organic certification for our produce derived from milk. Ecology first of all The enterprise avails itself of its own independent heating and cooling system which runs on wood, a renewable energy source in which the Valtellina is rich. The system gives greater energy savings than other combustible alternatives. The filtering of the ashes at the end means that smoke is cleaned up before being emitted. "Well being" The "Well being" of our guests starts with the products on the farm: hay, milk, whey. The hay of the Val Gerola is rich in thyme and the Achillea plant. It is ideal for those baths that are aimed at clearing the respiratory system. The milk of our cows, rich in fats, is sought after for moisturising skin treatments. And the whey which is left over from dairy treatments is used for skin-exfoliation baths. The tastes of days gone by With the aim of doing all we can to recreate the tastes of times gone by in our cheeses, salumi sausage and other local specialities, we have located next to each other our production and sales activities. We have done this in the traditional wooden "Calech" building and in the shop. The shop, as well as displaying our products, contains a "Casera" diary for seasoning the cheeses. This is in full view of anyone who comes into the shop, and it is a feature which recalls the traditions of the Valtellina alpine farmers. The enterprise can be visited by the public at any time thanks to an information system which we have put in place in all buildings on the animals, the animal areas and the treatments we carry out on our produce. Education and Training Our pupil-training has achieved recognition thanks to the accreditation of the business as one of the "Fattorie Didattiche della Regione Lombardia", teaching farms in Lombardy. This qualification means that the enterprise can receive children of all ages in order to teach them about agriculture, animal life and the skills and techniques applied in the production of food. We are educating them simultaneously about what it means to be a consumer and how to respect the environment. The courses are not just about understanding: we suggest themed courses which involve some active participation in a way that involves and stimulates even the youngest. Accommodation The Fiorida offers accommodation in 29 very spacious bedrooms, which are named after flowers and birds. The Standard rooms as well as the Suites (Junior and Family) are furnished in a classic mountain style in which larch wood and grey stone are married to create the atmosphere of a "taste of home". They offer every comfort: heating in cold times and winter, cooling in summer, a minibar, satellite TV, Sky, telephone and a hairdryer. Dining The restaurant with its four dining rooms reflecting the four seasons, Estate, Autunno, Inverno e Primavera, offers traditional Valtellina cooking enhanced with creative ideas. Our chefs are always available to respond to personal requests. Our service in the dining room is most attentive, and our guests are pleasantly spoiled by the friendliness of our staff. Wellness & Beauty Natural recipes provide the basis for the new emphasis on physical and mental wellbeing...and those natural remedies come from the kind of ingredients we use and the type of environment we provide. We offer a ‘Way of the Senses' (Un Percorso dei Sensi) through water treatments: in the indoor heated pool which overlooks our beautiful garden, the hydromassage jacuzzi pool, the sauna, the vitarium, the Turkish bath and the aromatic and sensual showers. The treatments we offer are based only on produce from our business: whether a moisturising bath in milk or warm whey which has just come out of the cheese-making process or an anti-rheumatism bath in hay from Sacco. We also offer a wide variety of massages: ayurvedic, sports, traditional, relaxing and stone. Business Area Work meetings, seminars, training courses and/or indoor team building. Each of these can be catered for in our three meeting rooms: Legnone (taking up to 250 people); Pizzo dei Galli (up to 40); and La Colmen (10). Standard equipment available as well as telephone lines, broadband internet and fax. Videoconferencing and video-recording are also available. The project: La Fiorida  "When 7 years ago I began to collaborate with Plinio Vanini for the Autotorino group, "La Fiorida" was little more than an idea in progress...All that you see today was a "dream" in the mind and desires of the man who was then my "commissioner" and is now my friend. It has been an unusual road. He began to involve me gradually in the life of his enterprise, and in some of the smaller tasks that needed to be done first...so that I could take in the spirit and requirements of this project...........Discover who designed this wonderful scheme and what inspires him...  Brochure 2008.pdf (9,31 MB)
Brochure 2008 |
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