The second I stepped out, the fresh aroma of country air greeted me. It reminded me of home, walking into Queen Victoria Market and smelling the fresh produce—that was as close as I’d ever been to a working farm. And now, here I was.
Francesca introduced me to the owner, Stefano, who showed us around. It wasn’t the quaint little family farm I’d envisaged, but a business enterprise with large sheds, machinery and many hands doing the work tending, picking and sorting. Stefano explained that everything—apart from the durum—was handpicked and sorted under strict quality controls. They used sustainable farming techniques and prided themselves on the best organic practices in the region. Most of their produce was sold to the locals, but they exported their wheat across Europe. The scale of the
