Inauguration of “The Workshop”: A day to remember.
The “Workshop”, our teaching facility, was inaugurated on Saturday, 14 December, in the presence of the authorities. This entirely new area is the place where practice, ideas and projects will result in new synergies, with the focus on the territory, people and skills.
The new “Workshop” teaching facility
A genuine teaching laboratory has opened close to our mill in Montefiore dell’Aso. It will offer enthusiasts and professionals alike the chance to really get their hands in the dough. This is not just a laboratory for practical work, as there is also a classroom.
It is a place where communication, information and training will be used to give voice and value to the products of the Marche region and to the marvellous territory that surrounds us. Collaboration and synergies with other companies and local small craft businesses will be a focal point of this activity.
Why “The Workshop”?
“The Workshop” is a name that highlights the importance of working to combine tradition and innovation. A workshop is precisely the place where ideas, new projects and new products are created and come to life.
As fate would have it, the location of the new Molino Agostini “school” is also the place where, sixty years ago, the first mill was built by Emidio Agostini, the grandfather of Roberto Agostini, the current miller and owner of Molino Agostini.
Emidio installed the first cylinder grinder in the same building in the 1940s, with a pasta factory and oil mill alongside. The Workshop has been named in his honour!
Organic production as a passion and a love of the land
It is an art that has been practised by three generations of the Agostini family and now excels throughout the Marche region, for the importance it places on people, the land and the well-being of everyone.
Twenty years later, this choice has proved to be the right and ethically correct one. Roberto brought local growers into the project and, thanks to the guarantee provided by the crop-growing agreements, they decided to convert to organic growing, thus ensuring a certified local food supply chain and investing in the territory and in a healthier and more sustainable environment.
The intervention of the regional secretary for agriculture
The Vice President of the Marche Region and the Regional Secretary for Agriculture, Anna Casini was present for the official opening of the Workshop, declaring how proud and pleasantly surprised she was by the idea and the initiative and emphasising the close bond with her region.
The Marche region is gaining a foothold in the country as a whole and becoming the leading Italian region in many sectors, primarily for the quality of its raw materials.
She noted that the Marche region was the first to introduce organic production and that one hectare out of five is currently used for organic crops, a European record and the pride of all inhabitants of the region.
The organic market is growing and of great interest both to growers, increasingly focused on environmental sustainability, and to consumers, who are more informed and seeking ethical products.
A certified food supply chain is a responsible choice that serves to create long-lasting and tangible bonds with local growers, with a particular focus on durability, management of the land and quality of the raw materials.
Our Marche Quality certification
In addition to the Organic certification, Molino Agostini also has the QM (Marche Quality) certificate, which certifies and demonstrates control of the Marche region on several supply chains, such as cereals for example.
The intervention of the Mayor of Montefiore dell’Aso, Lucio Porrà
Also present was the Mayor of Montefiore dell’Aso, Lucio Porrà. He called Molino Agostini the trailblazer in publicising this small town and the excellence of the traditional local products.
In his speech, the mayor discussed his idea for a project to name Montefiore dell’Aso the first totally organic town in the Ascoli Piceno province, due to the presence of numerous organically certified companies in the area.
The workshop as a training centre
The CNA (National Craft and SME Association) was also present, in the person of Simone Pettinari, a young representative who deals with training and enterprise consultancy.
With their help, we intend to offer regionally recognised training courses that will constitute an extremely important acknowledgement on the job market.
On this special day, the Workshop was used directly, with the assistance of the technical operators who will be the classroom teachers, to put on a sumptuous buffet for all the guests.
Many local organic production companies worked to make the event a success, including: the Cantina dei Colli Ripani wine cellar, the Cantina Centanni wine cellar, the Scibè farm and the Osteria Cinque Colli restaurant and Manu’s Pizza in Montefiore dell’Aso, headed by the master pizza chef, Mario Raschini. Particular thanks are due to the local council and the Pro Loco association of Montefiore dell’Aso.
By happy coincidence, the right moment and appropriate preparation resulted in this project being a huge success.
All that remains is to plan all the courses next year.
