A FAMILY OF FARMERS SINCE 1700
One day, while Giacomo was delivering bottles of oil ordered from the historic emporium
and grocery of Fratelli Innocenzi near Trastevere he was attracted by their showcase.
He noticed an ear of farro in the window together with a photo of the archaeological find of a Roman chariot containing the phrase, Chi mangia il farro non nutre il medico, roughly translated as “Some farro everyday, will keep the doctor away.” This saying caught Giacomo’s attention as he knew little to nothing about farro at the time. He began to study it with interest, discovering its innumerable culinary uses and nutritional properties.
He discovered a wild native Triticum Dicoccum farro that remained unchanged over time and was still being grown for feeding livestock in the Juvanum area. Juvanum was the
capital of the Italic settlement of the Carrecini, a tribe of Italic Samnites, who occupied the Piane di Caprafico in ancient times.
After his discovery, Giacomo decided to convert most of his land to the cultivation of this particular type of farro, while continuing to produce extra virgin olive oil, two pillars of the Mediterranean diet. He later added a production of orzo mondo (Hulled Barley) and legumes typical to Central Italy, while maintaining his focus on health and native plant
varieties.
