As the sun rises over North Italy the Po Valley comes alive. In the iridescent green shoots, egrets silently hunt frogs against the stunning backdrop of the snow-capped Alps. The land, a quilted patchwork of rice fields, is periodically dotted by large, crumbling brick fortresses called Cascina's, which once served as the heart of agricultural life in this region. Although times and methods have changed here, farm owners and producers in the Po Valley share a deep and proud history and ideology which is reflected in the rice they grow and produce.
Although normally when one thinks of Italy, pasta, not rice is the first thing that comes to mind. However, exotic stories of Arab invaders, Spanish troops and merchants from far away lands form the background for the arrival of rice in Italy. For it was the Arab's who brought the grain to Spain and Sicily in the 1200's and eventually, by the 1400's, rice was widely cultivated in Northern Italy. It was during this time that irrigation canals were designed and constructed. In 1816 the Cavour Canal, who Leonardo Da Vinci helped design was activated. Finally, the necessary water from melting glaciers in the nearby Alps could be distributed throughout the lands of the Po.
So it was here on these vast estates sandwiched between the Alps to the North and the southern Apennines that a unique farming culture was born. The farms, anchored in the center by giant walled compound called a Cascina (pronounced Cash-ina) or Tenuta, dotted the open countryside. Constructed of red brick and clay tiles, they have open courtyards (about 1 hectare square) inside the walls that provided the perfect place for drying rice. Virtually autonomous, they operated as a small city would, with areas for cows, horses and other animals as well as a dairy, workshops to support farm operations, housing for the 600+ field workers and their families, schools and even churches.
Today although these structures are still used, decaying brick walls, echoing courtyards and collapsing red tiled roofs are what remains of this bygone era. Now, these cascinas that once supported hundreds are empty spaces or serve as shelters for tractors or other modern equipment. But if you look and listen, you can still hear the echoes of the past.
Through centuries of development, Italian rice has evolved from a subspecies of japonica that was brought to the Italian shores hundreds of years ago. Through continuous selection and crossbreeding, Italian rice is large grained and prized for its ability to absorb various flavors. Of more than 150 types of rice grown in Italy, Carnaroli is perhaps the most famous. This superfine type has a grain over 6.4 mm and is best for the Italian risotto dishes because of its texture and absorption qualities. Other varieties include Barilla, which is also called "original" because it is derived from some of the first Italian rice varieties cultivated and Baldo and Arborio, which are other superfine types with large grains and high amalose content. Vialone Nano variety is a semi-fine, round grain, which is compact when cooked. These are just a few of the varieties grown that serve as the backbone of the industry here.
Of the approximate 3% of the worlds rice produced in Europe, Italy represents over 60%. In numbers that equals over 1,360,000 tons per year covering 220,000 hectares of land. In the latitudes in North Italy, cultivation must be carried out in the hot season, which begins in March, during which time fertilizers, plowing, furrowing and diking is carried out. In April the paddies are flooded and water from the melting Alps is released into the fields. The seemingly endless squares of water create what local's call "Il mare a quadretti" or "The Sea in squares". Under the summer sun, the shoots grow and mature until by fall they are golden and ready for harvest.
Historically, after the paddies were flooded hundreds of workers, mostly women, toiled in the fields transplanting by hand the plants. Abandoned about 40 years ago due to rising labor costs and more modern machine techniques, most farm operations are now automated. Even before WWII, tractors replaced horses and later combine harvesters replaced cutting by hand. Hours of work to cultivate one hectare of rice field passed from 1200 hours in 1900's to 770 in the 1950's and today is only about 20 hours and from 800+ workers to 10-20.
Today, rice cultivation faces still more changes and refinement. The hundreds of Independent farmers as well as cultivator/producer combinations co-exist and incorporate their own independent philosophies and processes.
Unlike the in U.S. where much of the storing and drying process is done through a co-op, Italian farmers independently must dry and store all of their own grain. Traditional small farms use the same general techniques, equipment and utilize modern fertilization, a combination of organic and chemical for pest and weed treatments. Still a close knit community, the families have transformed the traditional cascina structures into updated homes and use existing buildings to house their equipment. Although modern silos have replaced brick storage bins and new electric dryers are used instead manually drying the grains, farmers retain the same dedication to their crops and way of life.
Farmers like Giuseppe and Robertino Sarasso who's family owns and operates Tenuta Palestroa, a 248 hectare farm (615 acres) near Vercelli, use modern techniques and grow several different types of rice to sell to others for processing. Once a month they go to Vercelli with samples of their crop to participate in the Borsa Riso or Rice Market. Through brokers, they sell approx. 1/10 th of their 1,700-ton harvest to large industrial producers. The current system for selling their rice has been in practice for so long Giuseppe believes it would be difficult to change. "It is our hope that through the use of the Internet we will find a new way to sell our rice and keep more of the money without the need for brokers". Until that time, the Sarasso family will continue to grow and sell their crop as they're fathers and grandfathers before them had. Some smaller farmers cultivate rice in addition to other work.
Currently, there is a movement in Italy towards specialization and niche markets. Some farmers now cultivate and process their crop specifically designed to target the high-end Italian rice buyers. Additionally, interest in maintaining natural resources, health of the environment as well as producing a high quality product have made Organic and Bio-Friendly farming a growing industry in the E.U. and North Italy.
One such farm embracing these trends is the Tenuta Colombara, a family farm run by Piero Rondilino and his son. Dedicated to promoting Organic rice farming, they grow and produce only the Carnaroli variety that is sold in over 20 countries under the name of Aquerello.
In 1996, Piero radically changed their production practices, which went from producing large quantities of rice (4,500 tons on 600 hectares), which were sold to industrial processors to instead producing Organic rice for direct sale to consumers. They now do all the cultivation, processing, packaging and marketing. This transition to an entirely organic farm has decreased their production to 300 tons on 135 hectares. Forced to change their marketing, they now put more emphasis on higher quality rice designed specifically to use in risottos and charge a premium price.
To realize this, only the Carnaroli variety of rice is grown which, naturally helps to inhibit weeds because of its' tall shoots. Other natural methods he incorporates include resting the terrain, rotation with other cereals, maintaining constantly high level of water and the introduction of the herbivorous Amor Carp fish during the flooding season. Using no pesticides, he has re-introduction of the dragonfly to naturally battle the mosquitos.
During an extended lunch at Tenuta Colombara, which his is in the process of re-furbishing as a rural museum, Piero explained his beliefs in organic farming. "It is evident that the use of pesticides and chemicals produce genetic changes to the environment. To protect the integrity of the environment, animals and ultimately ourselves, it is important for us to respect the land. Today, we talk about the environmental problems, but it is tomorrows generation that will end up suffering".
His dedication to following organic methods continues through processing at his on site facility. Once harvested, the rice is aged from 1 5 years in refrigerated storage (15 C) to eliminate insects as well as enhance the flavor of the rice. He also uses a slower and more delicate "propeller" method for milling that was first invented in 1875. He explained how "By processing the rice in this manner, the most nutritious elements are not lost and the integrity of the grain is maintained". Packaged on site in airtight cans and shipped throughout the world, Aquerello rice is an example of a successful grower/producer whose' top quality rice is used by chefs throughout the world.
Of course, the drawback to purely organic farming is that it necessitates a significantly higher price for the rice. This increased production costs and low output is a concern for most farmers, therefore other cascinas are using bio-friendly methods in conjunction with traditional ones so as to remain competitive in the consumer market.
One such hybrid is the Cascina Veneria. At over 750 hectares, and with 3,500 Tons of Paddy rice produced per year, The Veneria estate is one of the largest single body rice estates in Europe. The growing of rice on the estate can be traced to 1581 and just like as other cascinas in the area, Veneria was once a huge enterprise and housed over 800 workers, 400 cows and 80 horses as well as a dairy. Although, most of the buildings now lay silent, the grand cascina is a step into the past.
Veneria's cultivation is vertically integrated and many different varieties of rice are grown on the estate. Some varieties are cultivated there but sold to large industrial producers in the area while it is their Carnaroli that they process, package and market themselves.
In a movement towards environmental friendliness, they have incorporated some unique methods during processing. Instead of the quicker chemical treatments to eliminate pests from the rice, they utilize special equipment that uses a combination of O2 and CO2. Paolo Romagnolo who is responsible for the Riseria, explained the process which, "by changing the levels of CO2 and O2 in the air tight silos, it changes the metabolism of the pests and eggs and prevents their hatching and survival. The balance of these elements must be correct to be successful and avoid possible hibernation". This process, which takes up to a week is unique to Veneria and eliminates the need for the use and disposal of chemicals. Using the Hamburg type machine, they mill the rice only once. Packaged on site and sold both in Italy and abroad, it is another example of risotto rice from the area.
One cannot forget the large industrial producers such as Riso Scotti and Riso Gallo whose production accounts for the majority of the exported rice. These large-scale producers use only the most efficient methods to process the rice that they purchase from local growers. The rice they produce is well suited for the mass market and general users. In addition to processing, they also parboil, flavor and pre-cook some rice for easier use by consumers. These processing techniques affect the absorption of liquid and change the texture and thus, are subject to critical reviews by chefs and gourmets.
The business of rice is ever evolving. Export tariffs and subsidies have affected the farmer's profits. In 1994 the sales ratio was 430 per ton. In 1996 the Agriculture policy in the EU shifted to reduce tariffs and subsidies and by 2005 the price was down to 150/ton. With the projected changes in 2007 of the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA) and increased competition from more heavily subsidized producers, many small growers fear the effect on pricing and profits. But local growers are hopeful that the quality and uniqueness of their product will keep demand high for their rice. In an effort to combat this, the grower/producers such as Veneria and Colombara along with many other cascinas such as Princepate di Lucedio and Tenuta Castello, have tried to create a niche market for their rice, obtain premium pricing and hopefully insulate themselves somewhat from these potential problems. But to be successful, they rely on maintaining the uniqueness of Italian types of rice.
Concern about recent exploitation of Italian rice varieties by industrial producers, has many in the area worried. Although current laws in Italy require the indication of the variety name on the label, it is this same law, that also allows producers to include on the packaging the names of rice varieties not actually present in the package as long as types included correspond to those on a specific list of physically similar varieties. Many local growers and producers are working together to protect specific varieties of rice. For example, the Po Carnaroli is being considered for IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) that could protect the name from being used with other varieties. This, in conjunction with the education of the consumer of the quality parameters of different rice varieties, are other ways they hope to protect the integrity of their rice and their livelihood.
Overall, Italians are fiercely proud of their rice, which is specifically requested by chefs and gourmets throughout the world. Known throughout Italy as the 3 S's of rice (Sodo, Sgranato and Saporito), which translated, is Consistency, density and Taste, Italian rice is held to very high standards. Yet, it is these very same characteristics, which make the Italian varieties difficult to cook.
The ability for the rice to absorb a variety of flavors is especially important in Italy where food is not just sustenance, but an art form and a way of life. During the Renaissance, when rice was introduced to Italy, food also had to be raised to this high, almost artistic level. Recipes for local rice have changed little and still utilize fresh mushrooms, wines and various cheeses to enhance the natural flavor and texture of the rice. Their history and pride lives in each grain of rice and reflects the culture of the people living among the fields near Vercelli. Many cascinas have opened their doors to tourism and now host visitors, curious to experience this unique culture.
As the sun sets over the Po River and the rice, once called "the gold of the marshland", gently sways in the summer breeze. Under the care of generations of farmers, the delicate shoots will eventually become the prized rice loved throughout the world. Although their cultivation and processing methods may differ, all are united in the pride they have in their product and the history and tradition of rice in this valley.
