“Gaggio” Fruits

The Story of a Happy Blueberry

I shake myself a little and the dewdrops roll away. I’m round and blissfully plump, of a fresh, deep purple. 

 

Happy Blueberry

My name is Blueberry and I am happy here. My here is the small terraced field of the Mirtilla farmhouse in Gaggio, balanced between the dry-stone walls and the steep slopes of Val di Cembra. Around me there are larches and firs, and then raspberries, currants, tomatoes, fruit trees, ancient legumes and also many flowers. The vegetable gardens are harmoniously coloured and blend in with the woods - after all, ‘gaggio’ actually means ‘the big woods’ - the meadows are full of bees and butterflies. Only the gentle caress of the rain falls on me.

I bloom in spring and in summer, ripe, fragrant and tasty.

My Blueberry story is easy and happy. I’ve heard rumors about Sad Blueberries. They are often born in winter, even very far from here, are watered a lot and barely smile. According to the journal Science and to ISPRA (Advanced Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), Italy is among the largest consumers of pesticides in Europe per unit of cultivated surface area, 5.6 kilos per hectare every year.

 

Blueberries from the Trentino Supply Chain

Sad Blueberries

Then, when the Sad Blueberries go on a long journey, many get lost to harvest, packing and shipping. Some arrive in stores, only a few in homes, even less make them to tables.

A third of blueberries is wasted to harvesting, processing, packaging, distribution, sale, preparation and consumption. One tub of Sad Blueberries out of three.

The Sad Blueberries always feel sad, because they were collected before becoming happy and, therefore, are not as sweet as they could be.

That is not our case! Just try one of our Happy Blueberries to believe it! We are truly irresistible - children go crazy for us... and adults too! - we are very rich in nutrients and when visitors come to pick us up it is a good excuse to have a chat with Erica and Luca, Mirta and Pietro, to learn something ... and maybe to taste some freshly baked delicacies.

Mirtilli

Mirtilla

Mirta is the queen of recipes: jams, juices, preserves, cakes, focaccias, soups… there is something for everyone. She sells her products at farmers markets, through fair trade purchase groups and here, at our house. Our farmhouse, decorated with flowers and carved wood, is located in the small town of Gaggio, on the left bank of the Avisio stream. You can come in and smell, look around, ask and try. You will find what the seasons offer and, in winter, we protect the precious memories of summer in glass jars filled with tasty delicacies.

Mirta and Pietro have recovered a hectare of terraced fields and, in addition to Happy Blueberries, they grow raspberries, currants, blackberries, local legumes, many ancient varieties of vegetables and fifteen different types of tomatoes. Together with other farmer friends they also founded the association BioBono-Tourism and peasant agriculture, and collaborate with the Network of Reserves of the Upper Cembra/Avisio Valley.

Blueberries from the Trentino Supply Chain

Networking

Yes, I am happy to have grown up on this farm. Now I am eagerly witnessing the new challenge of this cheerful and hard-working family: they have recovered an old abandoned farmhouse and turned it into a holiday farm. But agritourism wasn’t enough, so Mirta and Pietro decided to call it a ‘hut’, because, indeed, it has become a place for meeting, tasting and experimentation, where projects, workshops, and educational courses are held. It is a place where flavours, recipes, stories and even tips for all the activities you can do in Val di Cembra are exchanged!

From here, you can set off on treks through woods or vineyards, tasting fine wines in local cellars, or even venture onto the “Suspended Bridges”, an exciting walk suspended above the Avisio River. The important thing is to network. We are all protagonists and can choose the adventure that most resembles us, just as we can choose between the Sad Blueberries and the Happy Blueberries.

Some call it a short supply chain, some call it organic and local production, some call it care for the land: I call Mirtilla Home and here I want to stay, welcome, tell stories…and continue to trill, like any good Happy Blueberry that respects itself.

We take care

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Published on 28/01/2025