Traditional fruit farming did not appeal to 24-year-old Matteo Babini from Forlì - a graduate in agriculture from Cesena's technical institute - yet, at the same time, he did not want to abandon the family farm. The solution was to invest in new facilities and implement an aeroponic crop featuring a drip system so, a few months ago, he started the 'Air' company.
Matteo Babini inside the greenhouse with the vertical crop
"It is still quite small in size, as I am still developing the cultivation technique. I have created 2.40 meters high vertical walls, with 13 staggered slots per column: six on one side and seven on the other. The distance between the center of the walls is 1.80 meters."
The greenhouse was built by Europrogress and some of the technology is Italian, such as the fertigation dispenser (Nido) and an irrigation control unit (Scarabelli), while some elements come from abroad (a Swedish company for the plantlet slots).
"Right now, I have around three thousand plants, but I am heading towards the end of the season. I have no intention of heating the greenhouse, so I will cultivate until the end of November and then resume in March."
At the moment, the company grows basil, gentilina, mizuna (Japanese rocket), chervil, amaranth, Roman calamint, Japanese cabbage, chard, and spinach on trial. The delivery pipe pushes water into the diffusers at the top of the column. From here, two drippers bring down the water, which is then collected via the return pipes so that it can be reused.
"I am building up a customer base and, at the moment, my vegetables and herbs go to restaurants and some retailers. I don't have big numbers yet, precisely because I want to fine-tune the cultivation technique, saving as much water as possible and growing produce sustainably. I place the vegetables in 80 to 120-gram open bags, as needed. I can also prepare mixed bags on request, with different percentages between the vegetable types, depending on customer taste."
There are also plans for online sales, though at the moment they can only be picked-up at the farm. "In 2025, I will start production with larger quantities. There is the possibility of expanding the cultivation walls both in height and in length."
"I bought the ready-made plantlets at a nursery at first, but now I skip this step and produce everything myself from the seeds. We recycle 95% of water and we only use 10% of the soil , for the same production. Products are harvested according to demand, in order to eliminate leftovers and waste."
"I believe in this project, although I am convinced of the fact that such techniques can flank, yet never replace, traditional agriculture. I owe everything to my late father who, years ago, pushed me to innovate and look for alternatives. I dedicate this idea to him."
For more information
Air Società Agricola
Via Michele Carioli, 2A
47122 Forlì
+39 345 9725516
[email protected]
www.airvertical.it