Day 2
The second day of the CIVICA study visit in Perugia took participants outside the city, to discover two social farming experiences and an educational farm built on permaculture principles. Day two showed participants how social farming and permaculture can intertwine with work inclusion, land stewardship, and food self-sufficiency.
Fattoria Il Mascherone
The day began with a transfer to Fattoria Il Mascherone, in Orvieto. This is a social farm producing and selling organic fruit, vegetables, herbs, and processed products such as jams and pickles. Alongside farming, it works closely with several solidarity purchasing groups (G.A.S.) and provides work inclusion opportunities for disadvantaged individuals. The farm also runs summer camps and organizes activities for children and people with disabilities, including a therapeutic garden and a school garden.
Fattoria Sociale
The group then moved on to Fattoria Sociale, a cooperative based in Spoleto dedicated to the social and work inclusion of people with disabilities and autism. Those involved work in the fields or at the cooperative's restaurant, where they cook and serve customers. The organization also runs a production laboratory for processed goods (juices, jams, pickles, teas, beans in brine), alongside rehabilitation programmes and animal-assisted therapeutic activities.
Orto Sive Natura
In the afternoon, the group visited Orto Sive Natura, an educational organic farm in Gualdo Cattaneo following permaculture principles — an approach focused on creating sustainable, regenerative, and self-sufficient systems by mimicking natural ecosystems.
Located on a hill, the farm uses swales and two ponds to collect and retain water, while keeping the soil permanently planted to minimize water loss through evaporation. All harvested vegetables are processed in the farm's laboratory, with only final products available for sale — fresh herbs being the one exception, supplied directly to local restaurants. The farm also processes vegetables from other small-scale farmers and regularly organizes food self-production workshops and events.