The first Coldiretti village arrives in Udine

From June 13th to 15th in Udine the appointment with the Coldiretti Village arrives, the event open to the public to learn more about the central role of agriculture, live concrete experiences in the territory and enhance the agri-food heritage made in Italy. The kermesse will begin on Friday June 13th at 9:00 and will last until Sunday June 15th in the main squares and streets of the Friulian capital.

It will be a “widespread” peasant village involving symbolic squares and streets of the city: from Piazza Libertà to Via Mercatovecchio, from Piazza Duomo to Largo Ospedale Vecchio, from Piazza Venerio to Piazza XX Settembre, spaces that will be used for tastings, workshops, meetings for adults and children, awards and constant entertainment. «We are proud to have received this investiture – underlines the president of Coldiretti Fvg Martin Figelj – and ready to put all our effort so that the three days in the capital of Friuli will turn into a virtuous promotion of the true Made in Italy». The regional director of Coldiretti Fvg and Udine communicates that «with the support of the national Coldiretti, the Fvg Federation is collaborating with the Municipality of Udine – which, thanks to the mayor De Toni and the councilor Venanzi, immediately seized the opportunity of the Village – to organize a program that will involve the main squares and streets of the city. These will be transformed into a large agricultural village, where adults and children can experience being real farmers, among the stalls of the Campagna Amica market with 75 companies (45 from all over Italy and 30 regional, including 15 organic companies and 5 social farms), participate in workshops with mozzarella, bread and vegetables, and taste dishes prepared with 100% Italian ingredients".

"This is a very important event of national importance", commented the Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Productive Activities Alessandro Venanzi. "On the topic of agriculture, agri-food, the value of the supply chain and the quality of the zero-mile product, Friuli, and Udine as its capital, bring with them an important experience for the regional economy and culture. These are topics on which our administration is focusing a lot and with concrete projects such as the newly created Food District, designed to develop a network economy on the supply chain and on the local product. The Coldiretti village will be another important opportunity - continues the Deputy Mayor - to communicate our city and the Friulian territory, involving all the squares of our historic center, attracting visitors and showing our city to all of Italy".

In Udine, the national president of Coldiretti Ettore Prandini and the general secretary Vincenzo Gesmundo will be present. Together with them, institutional representatives and civil society, scholars, athletes and artists also called to comment on exclusive studies and research developed for the occasion by Coldiretti on the themes of healthy eating, tourism, the environment, school and health, all accompanied by entertainment shows and concerts. At the Village it will also be possible to sign the petition launched by Coldiretti that defends the health of citizens and the income of farmers and says enough to foods disguised as Italian, extending the obligation to indicate the origin on the label to all food products on the market in the EU.

A gourmet experience

At Villaggio Coldiretti you can also enjoy a gourmet experience for just 8 euros, from appetizer to dessert, including a glass of wine, thanks to the special menus prepared by the farmer chefs. In particular, at Contarena, open for the occasion, the Locanda dei Cuochi contadini will be open, with dishes exclusively dedicated to regional tradition. There will also be the agritourisms of Terranostra – Campagna Amica that will present vacation packages, experiences and itineraries to rediscover rural Italy in view of the summer holidays, with accommodation and restaurant proposals in the name of authenticity and respect for the environment.

Teaching and innovation

Also scheduled for the three days are lessons on Italian extra virgin olive oil, wine and farm beer tastings, and agricosmetics workshops, with natural advice and creative ideas for well-being. The educational gardens curated by Campagna Amica's green tutors will complete the educational offering for adults and children, who will be able to experience the activities of the agrischool and the 30 m2 educational garden, where vegetables and fruit plants will be on display. Space for innovation with the Garden 4.0, or the reconstruction of a small vineyard through technology. At the Loggia del Lionello, a classroom will be set up with 25 cardboard desks, enriched with plants to combat indoor pollution.

“Farmers Generation”

The program of the three-day event in Udine will open on Friday 13 June at 10 am in Piazza Libertà, in the presence of the regional councilor for agri-food, forestry, fishing and mountain resources Stefano Zannier, with the national final of “Oscar Green”, the award promoted by Coldiretti Giovani Impresa that aims to enhance the work of many young people who have chosen agriculture for their future. In addition, the “Generazione Agricoltori” tent will welcome young entrepreneurs under 33 who will discuss innovative projects for the sustainable growth of the Italian countryside. Focus will also be on the role of women in agriculture and the experience of the elderly in transmitting rural knowledge. At 3 pm, under the stage tent in Piazza Libertà, a conference on the blue crab will be held with the presence of the national president Ettore Prandini, the extraordinary commissioner for the blue crab emergency Enrico Caterino and the councilor Stefano Zannier.

In the afternoon at 5.30 pm, again in Piazza Libertà, there will also be the presentation of the book “Il cibo a pezzi” by the secretary general Gesmundo, Roberto Weber, pollster and president of the Ixè Institute and Felice Adinolfi, professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Bologna.

Entertainment: music, sports and dance

On Saturday morning, at 10:30, still in Piazza Libertà, the official inauguration of the event will take place, in front of the authorities, with the presentation entrusted to the television hosts Anna Falchi and Massimiliano Ossini. On Sunday, at 10, Holy Mass in the Cathedral celebrated by Monsignor Luciano Nobile. Then there will be entertainment with the Valvasone flag-wavers with drums (Sunday from 4pm to 7pm, itinerant), the concert of Quella Mezza Sporca Dozzina (Saturday and Sunday from 3pm to 5.30pm, itinerant), the exhibition of forestry sports by the Taglialegna (Saturday from 3pm to 5pm, Piazza Libertà), the demonstration of corn-leaf weaving by the Scus di Reana (Saturday from 3pm to 7pm, in Piazza XX Settembre), the concert by the music students of the Conservatories (Friday from 5pm to 8pm, Loggia del Lionello), the Buia dancers (Sunday from 3pm to 5pm, itinerant), the Coro Picozza (Saturday from 7.30pm to 8.30pm, Loggia del Lionello).

#Villaggiocoldiretti

The village will be an interactive experience for all visitors who will be able to play with time and reflect on what they bring to the table, and share every moment of these days on social media with the hashtag #villaggiocoldiretti, also using the selfie spaces for adults and children set up, thanks to the work of the master floriculturists of Coldiretti, in the most beautiful corners of Udine. In Piazza della Libertà a social point will be set up with "barrel" benches with the suggestive presence of the floral bee, made with plants and flowers. In Piazza Venerio there will be a selfie point with a bench with a heart in corten steel immersed in sunflowers. However, the Village will also be an opportunity for all visitors to leave a message of hope on the "good fruit" tree to grow together with the entire community.