A small company called Fatarelli Agriculture is located in a large brick building in the countryside of Capalbio Scalo where a local woman was running the company, while workers from Eastern Europe were sorting and putting artichokes in boxes. The manager told us that she had tried to employ local people without success because they aren’t willing to sow, plant, cultivate, harvest and put the harvest in boxes. Instead, workers from Eastern Europe willingly do this work, they do it well and they are willing to work long hours and even on days off if really required.
This company cultivates asparagus, melon, eggplant, courgette, tomato and more on open fields.
The high season lasts from May to September, but work is done all year, while the number of workers of course vary in accordance with demand. In addition to cultivating local products, this company also buys and sells agricultural products from other parts of Italy. In fact, during our visit workers were packing artichokes, which had been grown in Sardinia where the warmer climate leads to that they mature in late October/early November.
We were invited to watch two workers from Romania harvest courgette, which they brought back to the company for packaging.
This company distributes agricultural produce to markets in Tuscany and to other regions like Emilia.
