{"id":57669,"date":"2026-02-05T17:32:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T16:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crowdfarming.com\/what-the-field\/sin-categoria\/the-next-generation-takes-the-reins-in-sicily\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T16:43:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T15:43:29","slug":"the-next-generation-takes-the-reins-in-sicily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowdfarming.com\/what-the-field\/field-notes\/the-next-generation-takes-the-reins-in-sicily\/","title":{"rendered":"The next generation takes the reins in Sicily"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">This is my second time catching up with Renato from BioAgrumi Monasteri in his Sicilian citrus groves. For me, it feels just like coming home. It\u2019s probably partly because Renato speaks German, but it\u2019s also down to his warmth: a &#8220;Buongiorno&#8221; from him is as heart-warming as the sun over Etna.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">This visit was particularly special, as we put together an online course on Sicilian citrus farming. Click <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/rc0qPdJaWJU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong> to discover the challenges Renato faces and the deep-rooted love for Berlin that connects him to Germany. Back in 1998, the farm became the first certified organic citrus estate in the region, and last year Renato even managed to achieve <b data-path-to-node=\"5\" data-index-in-node=\"211\">Demeter certification<\/b>. This focus on soil biology and biodiversity is built on decades of organic work\u2014a true passion project started by Renato\u2019s father, Angelo.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">Renato lived in Berlin for five years before deciding to take over the family business. &#8220;My father is over the moon with my decision,&#8221; he tells me when I bring it up. More and more farms in the area are folding because there\u2019s no one to take over. &#8220;I hardly know any farmers my age, let alone anyone doing organic!&#8221; Not everyone is willing to take on so many challenges or the sheer weight of responsibility for the farm, the staff, and, of course, their own health. &#8220;My day starts at 4:30 am with a coffee and a bit of prep until the staff arrive at 6:00.&#8221; I check my watch: it\u2019s 6:30 pm. &#8220;I\u2019ll be here until at least 9:00 pm because we\u2019ve got tomorrow&#8217;s orders to get ready, and there\u2019s still cleaning to do,&#8221; Renato says.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">One thing\u2019s for sure: without that passion and a fair bit of grit, these hurdles would be impossible to clear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is my second time catching up with Renato from BioAgrumi Monasteri in his Sicilian citrus groves. For me, it feels just like coming home. It\u2019s probably partly because Renato speaks German, but it\u2019s also down to his warmth: a &#8220;Buongiorno&#8221; from him is as heart-warming as the sun over Etna. This visit was particularly [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":226,"featured_media":57668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-field-notes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The next generation takes the reins in Sicily - WTF<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The farmer Renato continues to run the family farm. 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