The four young entrepreneurs who are changing the local agro-tourism scene
By Anna Volpicelli, in the cover photo Tenuta Novecento Bio Agriturismo
They are all young women who share a love for their land and an urge to be in constant contact with nature. Passions are well transmitted in their work and to their guests. With their commitment and determination, they are innovating the agro-tourism industry of the Amalfi Coast.
Valentina Sannino, 35 years old, Tenuta Novecento Bio Agriturismo
The desire was to enhance the territory by focusing on sustainability at 360 degrees. Valentina Sannino, an architect, and her husband, Michele Inserra, between the end of 2016 and 2017, opened Tenuta Novecento Bio Agriturismo in Agerola. “The desire was to bring to light the vocation of the lands surrounding the property – she tells us – Lands that had been abandoned for long years. We reclaimed everything and brought back to life centuries-old trees that were in bad condition.”
Hence the decision to focus on organic farming and plant tomatoes, potatoes, oregano, and various types of vegetables, restore ancient vines, including grapes tronta, livella, and piedirosso, and experiment, with success, the cultivation of saffron. Products and ingredients are offered and served inside the farmhouse. “We also prepare baskets with our products for our guests when they stay with us,” she says.
In 2019, the decision to open the agriturismo, which in addition to the restaurant, also houses four bedrooms. “I am an architect and wanted to transport the philosophy developed for the crops to the entire structure. We recovered a rural building from the end of the 19th century and completely restored it, applying the same concept of sustainability present on the outside.”
Natural materials were used for the restyling, including wood and lava stone. Photovoltaic panels have been placed in the parking lot to guarantee energy to the structure. It also set up a cistern that collects and recycles rainwater for the farmhouse and the fields. “We have developed a path of naturalization that entirely enhances the environment.”
Silvia Amatruda, 28 years old, Agricola Fore Porta
Located in the heart of the enchanting Ferriere Valley, Silvia Amatruda, along with her mother, father, and fiancé, carries on a long family tradition. “After a trip to England, my grandmother in the late seventies bought this cottage, and for years, she took care of it with my grandfather. When my grandfather passed away, my parents took over the reins of the business. Now I’m here too”.
Born as a farm, the Fore Porta farmhouse is now a complete accommodation facility that offers overnight stays in addition to the restaurant. “Our concept is from the land to the table. Everything grown on the 3 hectares of land is then used as ingredients for the kitchen, from cured meats, cheeses, and vegetable dishes and of course, Sfusato Amalfitano.”
In addition to vegetables, fruit plantations, and animals, the farm is also dedicated to beekeeping, from which it obtains excellent honey. “Everything here is km zero, and every family member, even if we help each other, has a task. Having studied languages, I take care of the reception and the guests”.
Viviana Bottone, 34, Azienda Agricola Cuonc Cuonc
“The company belongs to my husband. He takes care of everything related to agriculture. In contrast, I take care of the processing of the products,” says Viviana Bottone, co-owner of this oasis of peace located in Minori, along the path of lemons. Opened at the end of 2019, the company wants to be a moment of rest along the way where you can stop to taste the products that are made.
For almost two years, it has been committed to honoring part of the agricultural tradition of the Amalfi Coast with a touch of innovation. “We try to keep intact what is the essence of our territory, its processing methods, and recipes, adding our own. The tomato sauce, for example, that we make follows the guidelines of the past, as our grandmothers made it. Still, instead of using only one type of tomato, we use those we grew, namely cherry, Sorrentino, etc.”
In addition to the passata, in the lab adjacent to the farm, a store, Viviana makes sweet and sour jams and chutneys. “One of my favorites is apple and chili chutney,” she says. The packaged juices have no added sugar. “The most popular is the pomegranate one, which is made with just the fruit,” she keeps pointing out. Open year-round. They offer free-entry tastings.
Antonella Ferrara, 27, Il Giardino Dorato
In Maiori, a young entrepreneurial reality is founded by Antonella, her boyfriend Luigi, and her two brothers, Giuseppe and Filippo. Each with a specific task. Antonella, for example, together with her brother, is in charge of animal breeding and cheese processing. “It’s a project that the four of us created from scratch. Luigi’s grandfather always had a cow farm, and my grandmother, on the other hand, had lemon groves. We combined these two passions, also handed down from our family, and launched the in 2019 farm,” says Antonella, co-owner of the farm Il Giardino Dorato.
They are all guys who have learned the trade directly in the field. The agritourism spreads over vast terraces of lemons, the heart of the project and from which the name is inspired, and also has a herd of animals, including a dozen Saanen goats of Swiss origin, which produce milk that is also ideal for those who suffer from intolerances, chickens, cows, sheep, and a newborn calf. “It’s a tiring job because we do everything ourselves and are busy from early morning from milking to cheese making to tending the grounds to cooking”, she says.
Those who stay here can participate in various activities, including milking and processing milk. “We like the idea of having guests experience a stay in direct contact with nature, rediscovering what agricultural life was and still is.” Among the products made are mozzarella, primo sale, tomini, and different cheeses in small quantities used exclusively for cooking.
The restaurant serves traditional dishes with ingredients from their land. The menu offers mainly seasonal recipes. Among these should be mentioned the ravioli with stracchino cheese and a grated Sfusato Amalfitano cheese. “The commitment is a lot, it’s true, but the rewards are many.”