Day 33 – June 21, 2025 – Foiano, Italy
Happy Summer Solstice Day!
We had a slow morning and then headed to Fierli, the butcher shop, for our farm tour at 11am. We met Nicola, who is a fourth-generation farmer, and he took us to where they raise the Chianina cattle as well as the Cinta Senese pigs. Another young couple joined us as well and he was from the UK and she was from Vietnam.
We were impressed that they try to do everything organic and do not use additives to their feed for both the cows/pigs. They have solar panels to help with energy costs as well as emissions. We next went to where the food (hay, straw, pellets) is mixed and then by using a robot, it distributes the feed to the cattle at certain times during the day. They basically get fed between 4-5 times a day instead of a large amount twice a day. This helps with their digestion as well. They are separated based on their gender, how old they are, if they are pregnant, etc.
Translated from their website: “They produce the feed for their animals directly on the farm thorough organic farming. This productions method respects human and animal well-being and protects the environmental and cultural biodiversity of the land. It is a model of sustainable development aimed at safeguarding the environment and the territory while enhancing the quality of local community resources. A fundamental aspect in obtaining high-quality meat is nutrition. In fact, our animals are not fed with premixed feeds or silage, nor with feed from factories that use conventional products or those that stimulate rapid meat growth without providing any nutritional value.” They are certified with the ICEA (Italian Organic Certification) organic label, which ensures the traceability of raw materials and the finished product, which guarantees product quality and consumer protection. They are also I.G.P., which means “protected geographical indication” and is one of the two systems adopted by the European Union to recognize and protect high-quality agri-food products whose characteristics are closely tied to and dependent on the history and the specific area of origin and production.
Next was to observe the Cinta Senese pigs and their environment. There is a large group that is together, but there are also groups that are split up, as what they do with the cows. They are black, unlike the cows, which are white, but have a lighter band in the middle. Pigs are cute, regardless, so I was a happy camper!
After the tour, we headed back to the butcher shop and to the restaurant that is upstairs and had a great lunch. John got some of their steak and a bowl of greens and I had a hamburger, which was basically a huge patty with some bacon on top. I didn’t have to worry about the break as there was no bun, and I was okay with that. I also had a side order of white beans, and they were so good! We finished up with some Vin Santo and cantucci for dessert. Since lunch was so heavy, we knew we’d eat very lightly for dinner.
We came back to the villa, both of us got some work done and then we went into the pool for a while. This afternoon was very overcast, and it looked like it might rain but never did. Dinner was leftover veggies, thin chicken breasts, and watermelon. We played some Rummikub and I won all the games, lol!
Tomorrow there is nothing planned except to do a little bit of laundry and maybe check out the little town of Monte San Savino, which is about a 15-minute drive from us. Another great day – ciao!
It is an animal that lives in complete freedom for at least a year in its natural habitat. The animals have plenty of land at their disposal to ensure the highest possible well-being and the necessary balanced diet.
The Cinta Senese is the only native Italian breed of pig to boast a Protected Designation of Origin (D.O.P) for its meat. This certification has been held since 2012.
