In San Vito dei Normanni, in the heart of Apulia, we are transforming 50 hectares of confiscated land from organised crime into an ecological and social farm capable of generating jobs, well-being for the community and ecosystem improvement.
We regenerate the soil, promote circular economy, raise biodiversity, provide quality agricultural products, encourage social and professional integration, grow a common vegetable garden, organise community events, foster technical training and scientific research, offer agroecological consulting services, and support agricultural projects promoted by young people in our area. Together, we are building a pioneering rural hub that aims to contribute towards the local development of Alto Salento.
The soil and Its fruits
THE OLIVE GROVE
Today XFarm manage a total of 34 hectares in olive groves: in Contrada Montemadre, approximately 10 hectares are traditionally planted with centuries-old trees (Ogliarola and Cellina varieties) and 11 hectares are intensively planted (5x4m planting pattern) with 25-year-old trees (Coratina, Frantoio, Leccino, Nociara, Picholine and Sant’Agostino); in Contrada Paretone Piccolo, there are about 12 hectares of 25-year-old trees (Nociara, Termite Bitetto and Leccino varieties) together with some centuries-old trees. It is in this area that we are experimenting with agroforestry integrations to regenerate the intensive planting.
Manifesto is our extra virgin olive oil, organically produced from the 12,000 olive trees we care for. It is a symbol of environmental, economic and social redemption for our land, the flagship product of our labour.
If you would like to try it but are unable to collect it from our premises, we can send it to you. Order it here, or send us an email.
L’AGROFORESTA E L’ORTO
To complement an hectare of centuries-old olive groves, with the aim of restoring soil biodiversity and promoting the Apulian landscape’s diversification, we have created our first Agroforestry prototype. A dynamic mixed ecosystem, based on ecological resource management, that integrates agricultural, forestry and/or livestock functions by introducing fruit trees, Mediterranean bush plants, legumes and aromatic plants, into the existing monocultural olive grove system.
On further 5 hectares, we are working to transform the intensive olive grove into several prototypes of agroforestry systems capable of interacting with horticulture. Here in Contrada Paretone, we also have our own common vegetable garden, covering approximately 5,000 square metres, managed according to the principles of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Together with the local community, we could produce high-quality organic vegetables, thereby contributing to the regeneration of historic traditional seeds and to the off-market varieties dissemination.
THE VINEYARD
In Paretone Piccolo, we also take care of 10 hectares of pergola-trained vineyards, exclusively planted with Lambrusco varieties, with vines over 20 years old from which we harvest our grapes and thanks to which, since 2023, we have also been producing our wine: Brushko
It wasn’t an easy task: the vineyard was in a state of neglect when we arrived, which meant that our first harvests weren’t particularly productive. When the regeneration work on the land finally bore fruit and the vineyard exploded, producing hundreds of kilos of excellent grapes, prices also exploded, falling by half. The extreme weather conditions also halved the production balance we had just achieved. We decided to transform part of the grapes into direct wine production, an opportunity we wanted and needed to give ourselves. This is how Brushko – the XFarm’s natural wine, 100% Lambrusco- was born!
If you would like to try it but are unable to collect it from our premises, we can send it to you. Order it here, or send us an email.
IL POLLAIO
In Contrada Montemadre, the HASTA L’HUEVO! poultry farm has also been established, where free-range hens graze under the olive grove, allowing us to produce healthy, high-quality eggs while promoting the social and professional integration of persons with mental health issues or coming from a prison setting.
Since 2024, Montemadre hosts a real “XFarm Base” – a multifunctional place that houses the operational headquarters for administrative, production, processing, sales and training activities, as well as most of XFarm’s events! Come and visit us, we are there almost every morning!
The Services we promote
CONSULTING
We offer consulting services for design, planning and implementation of agricultural, social and cultural projects consistent with XFarm’s development guidelines. We can develop customised programmes, offering support and guidance in the areas of administrative and project management, environmental impact assessment, permaculture and agroforestry system design, training, participatory processes and community building.
PUBLIC PARK: EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES
We aim to transform this farmland into a huge public park, a shared resource co-managed by a wider community that can serve as a source of learning and inspiration for the local area. We make XFarm’s spaces and know-how available for events, activities, workshops and experiences in nature.
Within the 50 hectares of regenerated land, we have created the Parco Artistico Rurale ‘XFarm Land Art’, camping spaces and services, a total of 6 hectares of growing agroforestry systems, an educational vegetable garden, and the Base XFarm Base, a multifunctional space supporting social and ecological farming activities, complete with toilets, kitchen and indoor/outdoor spaces suitable for hosting various types of activities.
AGRI-FOOD PROCESSING
CoLab is the shared agri-food transformation laboratory of Base XFarm, where sauces, jams and preserves are produced, herbs and fruits are dried, and training courses are developed to reinvigorate the local economy and trade, with the aim of shortening the supply chain.
It is not a third-party processing service but a space for sharing and socialising, a tool for co-producing and experimenting with small local farms, exchanging knowledge and information and recovering traditional recipes from local communities.