Agritourism Destination

Massa-Carrara

3 reviews • Updated 1 year ago

Siamo un'azienda agricola biologica e certificata di 200 ettari ai piedi dell'Appennino, in Lunigiana. La proprietà si estende nel Parco Nazionale Tosco Emiliano e l'area è stata riconosciuta come Riserva della Biosfera MAB Unesco (considerata luogo di apprendimento per lo sviluppo sostenibile). Seguiamo i principi della permacultura/agricoltura rigenerativa e del Km zero. Le nostre attività principali sono olivi e alberi da frutto, pecore, bosco/sotto bosco e orto. La nostra filosofia è lavorare con la natura combinando allevamento e coltivazione in cicli a circuito chiuso per moltiplicare le sinergie. Gestiamo un agriturismo nella proprietà che è principalmente stagionale (aprile-ottobre) e durante questo periodo i pasti vengono preparati nella cucina del ristorante da cuochi assunti. Nella stagione invernale, i pasti in comune vengono preparati insieme oppure forniamo cibo per cucinare in appartamenti con angolo cottura. A seconda del periodo dell'anno, il lavoro consiste nella cura degli animali (alimentazione/pulizia stalla), dell'orto, degli ulivi e degli alberi da frutto (risparmio di semi, semina, diserbo, raccolta e trasformazione) oltre a lavori di bassa manutenzione (recinzioni, taglio erba, ecc.). -^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^---^- La nostra famiglia è anglo-italiana e abbiamo viaggiato molto prima di stabilirci per costruire il nostro podere in questa zona speciale dove la natura e la forte tradizione italiana sono abbondanti. Ci piace incontrare persone di diversa estrazione sociale e preferiamo gli ospiti che cercano esperienze a lungo termine (minimo 2 settimane). We have a 200 acre organically certified farm in the foothills of Tuscan-Emilian Apennines in an area known as Lunigiana, the Northern tip of Tuscany. The property extends into the Tuscan-Emilian National Park and the area has been recognized as a MAB Unesco Biosphere Reserve (considered a learning place for sustainable development). We follow the principals of permaculture/regenerative farming with zero km practice for sourcing and waste. Our principal activities are olive & fruit trees, sheep, forestry and vegetable garden. Our philosophy is to work with nature combining animal rearing and cultivation in closed-loop cycles to multiply synergies. We operate an agriturismo on the property which is mainly seasonal (April-October) and meals during this time are prepared in the restaurant kitchen by hired cooks. In the winter season, communal meals are prepared together or we provide food for cooking in self catering apartments. Depending on the time of the year, the work consists of caring for the animals (feeding/stable cleaning) and vegetable garden and olive & fruit trees (seed saving, planting, weeding, harvesting and transformation) as well as low maintenance jobs (grass cutting, fencing etc.). Our family is Anglo-Italian and we have traveled extensively before settling down to build our homestead in this special area where nature and strong Italian tradition are bountiful. We enjoy meeting people from different walks of life and prefer guests who are looking for a longer term experiences (minimum 2 weeks). Organic methods: Mulching, Hugelkultur/Raised Beds, Animal Rotation, Lunar Planting Certifications: Suole e Salute Current projects: Recuperating natural water sources Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Sheep or goat farming

Wild foraging

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Seed saving or production

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Bakery

Natural cosmetics fabrication

Traditional crafts

Methods or systems

Permaculture

Host type

Production farm

Certified organic

33.6 Hectares | 83 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Children not accepted

Pets accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Cornelia

Member since 2022

Languages spoken: English, Italian Response rate: 85% Response time: typically within 3 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

Massa-Carrara

Reviews

Barbara

Italy • July 2024

My experiences with Cornelia has been awful. She doesnt follow the guidelines set by Wwoof, as soon as you arrive on her properly She puts you to work on her hotel. I was ordered to: Cleaning the hotel pool. Preparing baskets for the hotel. Pressing and folding napkins for the hotel/restaurante. Cleaning and feeding sheep/chickens. Removing weeds from the hotel garden. * nothing to do with learning about Organic Farming. After working long hours you get short lunch/dinner where they serve One small portion of non organic cheap food. * She ordered me around all day with entitlement. It was a hostile environment and I would never reccomend It to anyone.

Reply from Cornelia

Dear Barbara, We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback about your stay with us. We are genuinely sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. The weather during your visit was indeed unusually rainy, limiting our ability to conduct much of the outdoor organic farming work. We aim to provide a diverse range of activities based on current conditions, and this includes helping with various farm-related tasks, both indoors and outdoors. As you kindly volunteered to assist with indoor activities, such as making bath salts from our herbs and labelling our homemade preserves, we hoped to offer a fulfilling experience despite the weather challenges. Regarding the specific tasks you mentioned, we strive to integrate the maintenance of our farm's eco-tourism aspects, such as the hotel garden and animal care, into the Wwoofing experience. These activities support our organic farming operations and provide a holistic understanding of sustainable living. We value all feedback and use it to improve our programme. We also encourage potential Wwoofers to read the reviews from others who have stayed with us, as we believe they reflect a more balanced perspective of what we offer. We wish you all the best in your future Wwoofing experiences. Kind regards, Cornelia

Thorsten

Germany • July 2023

I was able to work for Cornelia and her team for two months from mid-May and felt very comfortable during this time. Podere Conti is a very diverse farm with a focus on the agritourismo , but at the same time runs many agricultural projects that were also part of my work. The broad spectrum and the insight into the different areas of work, from taking care of the animals and working in the vegetable garden to organizing the weddings and the guest business, were a valuable experience for me. When discussing the working hours and her own concerns, I always found Cornelia to be very open, trying to take up the concerns and wishes and to respond to them. I would especially like to thank everyone from Cornelia's team, who met me very openly and warmly.

Lorenzo

Spain • May 2023

I just spent 10 days in Podere Conti and my experience was quite intense! I was lucky to be hosted in a marvelous guest room with private bathroom and fantastic views. The place is literally a heaven on earth, with animals living a free and very confortable life. I have to admit that you work quite a lot (there is always something to do) when the weather is good. But the food the chef Giulio prepares everyday ( for lunch and dinner) is EXCELLENT and that will compensate for your efforts: you will be able to eat both in quantity and quality. Cornelia, my host, is a very strong woman, raising 5 kids ( young adults and one pre teenager) almost on her own, as the husband is working abroad most of the time. The kids are well educated and respectful of Nature and the environment they are living in. Cornelia has a vision, making this place the most auto sufficient possible, and she uses lots of Permaculture techniques, one of her main principle being reeusing everything you can and not throwing anything away. In terms of work, everybody is working the same, woofers or not, and if you have the shoulders and the mind for it, this equality is appreciated. Thank you for this experience and hopefully see you soon!! Best of luck, Lorenzo