Respecting nature’s time, living in a remote location far away from the big cities, offering tourist services in a unique place in the complete noise of nature.
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Respecting nature’s time, living in a remote location far away from the big cities, offering tourist services in a unique place in the complete noise of nature.
Association
2010
Loc. Castelluccio, 06046 Norcia PG
The farm and agritourism ‘Il Sentiero delle Fate’ is located in Castelluccio di Norcia, in the heart of the Monti Sibillini National Park, in front of Mount Vettore, surrounded by the Piani di Castelluccio, which bloom abundantly in summer.
The decision to diversify activities primarily arises from an economic necessity. With the 2016 earthquake exacerbating the situation, the small village of Castelluccio was devastated and is still awaiting action. Consequently, due to the high influx of tourists attracted by the flowering, the decision was made to expand the range of offerings.
PRODUCTION: The main focus is on lentil and dairy production (sheep). The farm has always cultivated the renowned ‘Lenticchia di Castelluccio di Norcia IGP’ (Protected Geographical Indication). Additionally, in the small dairy workshop, traditional pecorino cheese and ricotta are produced using the raw milk of their sheep, which graze in the plains of Castelluccio. The abundance of flowers during the flowering period provides them with exceptional natural millefiori honey.
RESTAURANT: The farm’s products are served directly onto the plates of tourists in a rustic and traditional manner, respecting local culinary traditions.
BOTTEGA: Visitors have the opportunity to purchase the farm’s locally produced goods.
EDUCATIONAL FARM: A space where young visitors can engage with agriculture and rural life interactively. It offers hands-on experiences such as animal care and food production, aiming to promote environmental awareness and a connection with nature.
CULTURAL ROUTES: For enthusiasts of art, history, and tradition, the farm collaborates with tourist guides to organize the “The village of Castelluccio between Myths and Legends” route. This walk through the streets of Castelluccio, set against the backdrop of the Monti Sibillini Mountains, delves into the fascinating stories of Guerrin Meschino, Pilate, the Sibyl, and her fairy handmaidens, which inspired the name of the Agriturismo.
The multifunctionality of the farm is pivotal to its success and is seen as a necessary means to sustain itself in its beloved yet economically challenging territory. The farm is dedicated to setting an example of excellence and authentic values in the agricultural sector. Founded with a passion for the land and a reverence for tradition, this company has deep roots in the region of Umbria, situated in the green heart of Italy.
The advantages of offering different services lies in the possibility of making the farm more profitable by enhancing the value of its products by being able to sell them better, e.g. by selling them directly without intermediaries, or by enhancing them in the kitchen by making them a product with a higher added value, or by involving guests in an experience on the company. The farm embraces a passion for the land, sustainability and tradition. They cultivate products with love and care, offering authenticity and quality that make every bite an unforgettable experience.
The problems are that you need to know well and apply the regulations of each individual sector. The regulations of a restaurant, those of a hotel, those of a business. The most stringent are health and hygiene, HACCP and tax regulations, and you also need to have knowledge of financial financial matters, access to credit, and also marketing.
The farm, which in 2012 was awarded the Golden Logo of the Ente Parco Monti Sibillini National Park for Environmental Sustainability, is particularly attentive to environmental issues.
Among the measures that the company adopts for the containment pollution and energy wastage include the installation of of low-consumption light bulbs, the use of detergents with lower environmental impact (ecolabel), maximum containment in the use of disposable products. disposable products.
With the educational farm, they have carried out several projects together with local schools, and offer a variety of educational experiences for all ages related to agriculture and rural life. It includes activities such as interacting with farm animals, such as cows, sheep or pigs, learning about animal care and feeding. In addition, you can gain experience in cultivating vegetable gardens and making cheese or bread. These hands-on experiences help young visitors understand the food cycle, the importance of sustainable agriculture and the connection with nature.
In order to implement the diversification of their services, the aim is to reopen accommodation, which has been closed since 2016 due to the earthquake.
What to recommend to those who want to venture into opening an agritourism or a farm, especially in difficult locations, is to reflect on and analyse several aspects: the type of farm products, how they could propose them to guests, how much extra farm time they could dedicate to the agritourism, possession of skills related to hospitality (empathy, knowledge of languages, farm hospitality skills (empathy, knowledge of languages, patience), availability of funds in the start-up phase. start-up phase.
Being able to go back to the start, the owner would immediately strive for a more professional approach, recognizing that their initial emotional involvement might have been excessive. They would commit themselves to acquiring fundamental skills necessary for this type of business, ranging from understanding bureaucratic processes to obtaining essential product certifications..
The Farms’ Charm project aims to develop learning materials to educate small and medium-sized farmers in possible ways of starting their agritourism activities which will help them not only diversify their incomes but also promote their farm products directly to consumers. All that while reviving the rural areas and local communities and promoting a sustainable way of tourism which is in line with the tendencies of slowing down and staying longer at one area.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The content of this website reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
