Social Farming and Rural Skills Section 1.2 The experience of San Michele Arcangelo

1. Social Farming and Rural Skills Section 1.2 The experience of San Michele Arcangelo Provided by SAN MICHELE ARCANGELO

2. Objectives The objective of this module is to illustrate the different types of agricultural activities and the reasons for their adoption in social farming projects. The case of the San Michele Arcangelo Cooperative and the activities carried out in social agriculture will also be presented.

3. Learning outcomes At the end of this module you will be able to: • Choose the most suitable agricultural activities for social farming projects. • Evaluate how to organize social farming initiatives based on the specific needs of users • Identify how to organize work in the field, based on real experiences.

4. Unit 1.2 • The experience of San Michele Arcangelo

5. 1.2.1 San Michele Arcangelo Cooperative San Michele Arcangelo was founded in 2007 and carries out its activities in collaboration with the Cooperative PARS, offering disadvantaged people opportunities for integration in an agricultural working environment. San Michele receives about 50 disadvantaged people every year, mainly former drug-addicts or mentally disabled persons undergoing residential treatment.

6. 1.2.2 Organic Agriculture San Michele uses cultivation techniques with low environmental impact, without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and GMOs. 50 hectares cultivated using organic methods

7. 1.2.3 The users Subjects affected by addictions (drugs, alcohol and behavioral) that are in therapeutic/rehabilitation centres. People with psychiatric demand Young people up to 16 years old, no longer in compulsory schooling, with family problems or addictions.

8. 1.2.4 The partnership for SF initiatives human resources, land, machinery, agricolture and breeding equipment spaces, equipment, human resources, knowhow social/therapeutic professionals disadvantaged people and minors

9. 1.2.5 The social farming laboratories The main laboratories organized in collaboration with the other partners: • Piggery - farmyard animal • Horticulture • Carpentry • Fruits and vegetables transformation • Green maintenance

10. 1.2.5 The social farming laboratories The laboratories organized at San Michele: - Horticulture – fruit growing - Fruits and vegetables transformation

11. 1.2.6 Agricultural resources • Fruit tree: • peach • apricot • plum • strawberry • cherry • Vegetables • Olive trees • Vineyards

12. 1.2.7 The choose of agricultural sectors Why choose this sectors? Horticulture Fruit growing Fruits and vegetables transformation Activities that are more suitable for the therapeutic-educational objectives defined for the participants (drug addicts) Support therapy to traditional treatments

13. 1.2.7 The choose of agricultural sectors Why choose this sectors? The natural cycle of plant growth (sowing, transplanting, growth, development, flowering) is synonymous with the path of personal growth and well-being, and creates a sense of usefulness and self-esteem.

14. 1.2.7 The choose of agricultural sectors Why choose this sectors? Vineyard Olive trees Vegetable garden Orchard These sectors require manual activities with different levels of physical commitment

15. 1.2.7 The choose of agricultural sectors Vineyard Simplicity and repetitiveness of operations Importance of well-timed intervention Concentration of work in limited time Cons: User does not enjoy the result of his work

16. 1.2.7 The choose of agricultural sectors Olive trees It requires a lot of manual work Long processing time Flexibility in the times of intervention

17. 1.2.7 The choose of agricultural sectors Vegetable garden • Define the layout of the vegetable garden according to the production target: • Internal consumption • Direct sales • Autonomous production of seeds • Specific processing techniques • Well-timed intervention

18. 1.2.7 The choose of agricultural sectors Orchard Choice of the most suitable breeding form:   to facilitate harvesting and pruning operations   possibility of using machines   to organize manual operations Choice of species: Depending on the type of users and the difficulty of breeding E.g. apple ,pear tree: more complex management cherry, apricot, plum tree: simpler management

19. 1.2.8 How to assign the task

20. 1.2.9 The choose of activities Simple activities Complex activities Fruit harvesting Vegetable harvesting Planting Watering Weeding Fruit selection Sowing Transplanting Putting the soil in the pots Eliminating flowers and withered leaves Cleaning flowerbeds Hoeing Pruning Use of equipment/ vehicle Chainsaw Scissors Tractors

21. 1.2.10 The activities in the horticulture sector Simple activities Vegetable garden Orchard Olive trees Vineyard vegetable harvesting sowing transplanting watering make cutting hoeing soil cleaning fruit harvesting fruit selection fruit box preparations weeding grape harvesting grape selection grape transportation soil cleaning olives harvesting olive selection soil cleaning

22. 1.2.10 The activities in the horticulture sector More Complex activities Vegetable garden Orchard Olive trees Vineyard Use of equipment Vehicle - Chainsaw - Scissors - Tractors Weeding Pruning

23. 1.2.11 The pruning It is planned in winter (for the vineyard) and in the other months of the year depending on the different types of fruit trees and olive trees. Pruning requires a lot of precision and is entrusted to the most expert users who are guided and trained on the different techniques by the company's referent and by a specialized technician (agronomist).