MSU AgVenture
Spring Break, March 2026
Florence, Italy
Saturday March 7th to Sunday March 15th
PLUS HOSTEL FLORENCE
Via Santa Caterina D'Alessandria, 15, 50129 Firenze FI
Options for using your phone abroad:
1) You can check with your provider if they offer an international plan. Usually this is a daily fee which adds up to be quite expensive.
2) Check if you phone is compatible with having a second E-SIM. There are cheap deals for e-sims that offer only data or phone calls and data. I frequently use Airalo which is an e-sim app that you download on your phone.
3) No plan. Turn your data roaming off but leave your phone on. This means that you can be contacted in case of emergency but you will only be able to use your phone when you have wifi. If you don’t answer phone calls or make phone calls then you won’t be charged.
Study Abroad Staff -
Anna McNiel Cell: +393287290848
While you are in Florence, the best way to get in contact with me is via Whatsapp. Whatsapp uses data rather than the phone networks and is available when you are on wifi or roaming on your phone.
Saturday March 7th - Day 1: Welcome to Florence
Group arrives Friday March 6th.
Check-in to Plus Hostel available from 3PM.
Free day to explore Florence.
6:30PM: Welcome to Florence Pizza Dinner
Meet in the hostel reception at 6:15PM to walk all together to the restaurant.
Personalized Google Map: Restaurants, Gelato, Panini Etc
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/3/edit?mid=11yb5Ms5daEKeUWQ2MzOGv_f8ih0e7_Y&usp=sharing
Notes on booking restaurants
In general restaurants do not open until 7pm or 7:30pm. Even in low season, popular restaurants often get fully booked. See the google map link for recommendations for places nearby.
Restaurant booking apps: OpenTable and The Fork are popular in Florence. The Fork offers discounts as well.
Sunday March 8th - Day 2: The Culture of Agriculture
Breakfast and Dinner Included.
MORNING CULTURAL ACTIVITY
Visit Michelangelo’s famous sculpture, The David, located in the Accademia Gallery.
We will meet in the hostel reception at 9:15AM.
After you marvel at David and Michelangelo’s other masterpieces, we will walk all together to Demetra Hostaria. From there you will have free time until your appointment at 2pm with Professor Wass.
CULTURAL NOTE: March 8th is International Women’s Day
International Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women.
You will see yellow mimosa flowers everywhere. It is customary for men to gift women sprigs of mimosa (or women to gift women). Some museums and sights may offer free entry to women today and there will certainly be festivities in bars later on.
Prof. Emiliano Wass
Emiliano Wass is a college professor, journalist, and publisher. Since 2007, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses across various U.S. programs in Italy, including Florida State University, CEA-CAPA, Richmond University, IULM Milano, ISI Florence, Accademia Europea di Firenze, CET Academic Programs, Verto. He holds a Ph.D in Political Science and a Master degree in Anthropology. Alongside his academic career, Emiliano has served as a consultant in the publishing industry, collaborating with both major and independent publishers such as Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Marsilio, Ledizioni, and effequ, while also publishing his own work. Driven by his passion for digital media, publishing, and the food industry, Emiliano founded “The Tasty Guide” in 2023, the first digital-only, multi-language publisher specializing in Italian food and culture.
VENUE: Demetra Hostaria
Via della Vigna Vecchia, 25r, 50122 Firenze FI
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CPMGa3ysK29MiNnF9
2:00PM - 4:30PM
THE CULTURE OF AGRICULTURE
Cultural trends from ruralization during Fascism, industrialization in the 50s, to the changes brought by the European Common Agricultural Policy and the current situation.
Current issues: labor exploitation, migration, climate change, sustainability, depopulation.
Seminar duration: 2 hours
Materials will be provided. Bring a pen!
5:00PM - 7:00PM
HOW TO IDENTIFY A MEGAFOOD
"The Carbonara Case. Italian Food and the Race to Conquer Consumers' Memories."
This lesson will help you understand how iconic recipes like carbonara are at the heart of Italian food's global success. It's a true megafood, capable of generating $1 billion in revenue on its own. Many different disciplines will help you decipher its secrets.
7:00PM
DINNER - CARBONARA
After learning all about Carbonara and its impact on the Italian and global economy, we will enjoy a dinner of real Roman-style Carbonara.
Marco Ginanneschi, Ph. D.
Marco Ginanneschi, PhD, is a Strategist, Trend Analyst and Futurist. Partner and CEO at Finanza Futura Srl, a strategic management consulting firm based in Florence (Italy), as an independent researcher, has authored several scientific articles published by major economics and management journals. He specializes in food and tourism. Academician of the Georgofili.
Monday March 9th - Day 3: BF Agricola & BF Educational
Breakfast and lunch included
Meet in the hotel reception at 7:15am
Transport: by bus
Drive time: 2.5 hours
One of Italys’s biggest farms for both crops and animals. I have included links to both their company page and their relatively newly formed center for excellence BF Educational.
After a company presentation, we will visit the rice and legumes mill followed by the livestock stalls. Lunch is included in the campus restaurant.
Note that this is one of the biggest cattle farms both in Italy and Europe. Their crops include various types of beans, chickpeas, spelt, barley, corn, and sunflower seeds.
We will return to Florence straight after lunch. Arriving at approximately 5:00PM.
Bonifiche Ferraresi
https://www.bfagricola.it/
https://www.bfeducational.it/en/
Ten facilities spread over 33,000 square meters or approximately 8 acres of surface area in the province of Ferrara, which can accommodate up to 4,500 heads of cattle.
Tuesday March 10th - Day 4: Coldiretti and The Young Farmers Association
Who is Coldiretti? Coldiretti is a social force that represents agricultural businesses and promotes agriculture as an economic, human and environmental resource. https://toscana.coldiretti.it/chi-siamo/
Coldiretti & Campagna Amica
https://www.campagnamica.it/chi-siamo/
(use google translate & in the right column of the webpage you can flick through their brochure in English - The Universe of Right Food)
Coldiretti Producers Market
https://www.campagnamica.it/la-nostrarete/mercato/mercato-coperto-di-campagna-amica-arezzo/
Campagna Amica Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/fondazionecampagnamica/
Educational Programs
https://toscana.coldiretti.it/news/progetto-scuola-coldiretti-in-classe-per-lo-sviluppo-sostenibile-e-leducazione-alimentare/
Breakfast and lunch included
Meet in the hotel reception at 8:00AM
Transport: by bus
Drive time: 1.5 hours
9:30 AM – 11:30 AM Visit to the Campagna Amica Indoor Market in Arezzo. This includes a guided tour of the market and a meeting with local producers. Attendees will include the Youth Delegate James Lewis Benedetto, the President of Coldiretti Arezzo Lidia Castellucci, and Director Raffaello Betti.
11:30 AM – 11:45 AM Transfer to Villa La Ripa. https://www.villalaripa.it
11:45 AM – 3:30 PM / 4:00 PM Visit to Villa La Ripa:
An introduction to the estate and its vineyards, followed by a guided tour of the wine cellar. The visit will conclude with a wine tasting and lunch.
Around 4:00 PM Back on the bus - return to Florence.
Note: There may be local press and the Coldiretti social media manager will be present to capture our visit on video.
Wednesday March 11th - Day 5: Maremma Meet The Producers
Breakfast and lunch included
Meet in the hotel reception at 7:30am
Transport: bus
Drive time: 2.5 hours
The Producers
We will be meeting with an agriculture husband and wife team. Ariane, originally from America, manages her family farm producing rice in southern Tuscany. She has experience navigating the politics of agriculture both in the USA and Italy. Her husband, Christian, is the CEO of La Selva Bio which grows and processes vegetables.
We will visit La Selva in the morning. They will provide us with a light lunch before we move on to Ariane’s farm for the afternoon.
La Selva Bio - Christian (CEO)
https://www.laselva-bio.it/en/
La Selva Bio would be considered a medium sized operation, distributing not only to bottegas but also to supermarket chains.
Tenuta San Carlo - Ariane (Owner)
https://tenutasancarlo.com/en
**WE WILL BE STAYING OVERNIGHT**
You DO NOT need to check out of your hostel in Florence. Your rooms are booked even though you will not be staying there. YOU JUST NEED TO BRING A SMALL OVERNIGHT BAG.
Please bring appropriate footwear. We will be visiting farms.
We will be staying at Hotel Airone
https://www.hotelairone.eu/
It is about a 10 minute walk from the hotel to the historic center of Grosseto where you will find shops and restaurants.
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DRfjNUeza2eM4Wvq9
Thursday March 12th - Day 6: Maremma Meet The Producers 2
Breakfast and lunch included.
CHECK OUT - make sure that you bring all of your belongings with you when we depart in the morning.
Meet in the reception of the hotel at 9:30AM - ready to go!
10AM - Cheese Making at La Maremmana (tour and tasting)
https://www.lamaremmana.it/en/
On our land, we cultivate cereals and fodder to feed our animals; we breed buffaloes in large open-air areas; we manage their milk production in a state-of-the-art cowshed; and we breed Maremma cows in the wild, preserving this indigenous species for limited meat production.
In our dairy, we process our own, exclusively farmed buffalo milk to produce high-quality cheeses. We also take care of the sale of our products both directly, in our sales outlets, and through distribution to shops and restaurants.
Finally, we produce renewable energy from agricultural waste and reuse the residue of the process as organic fertilizer.
1PM Tenuta di Paganico
https://www.tenutadipaganico.it/en/
The first thing we will do on arrival at Tenuta di Paganico is have lunch! The lunch will be a selection of products that are produced on the farm.
2PM Farm Tour with Jacopo Goracci
Regenerative Farming, agroforestry innovator, Network Builder
Jacopo operates at the intersection of agroforestry, livestock, and strategic planning. He leads Tenuta di Paganico and fosters rural networks from Tuscany to Europe, advancing agricultural models that regenerate ecosystems, strengthen communities, and diversify local economies.
He is responsible for strategic development and project planning at Tenuta di Paganico, a historic organic farm located in the Maremma region of Tuscany, established in 1924. Today, it stands as a virtuous example of integration between extensive livestock farming, sustainable agriculture, forest management, and rural hospitality. With a background in animal sciences and a PhD on sustainable pig farming, Jacopo has turned everyday agricultural practice into a living lab for rural innovation.
Over the years, he has shifted from a purely technical role to becoming a key connector of networks and partnerships. He actively participates in regional and EU working groups, including the Newton project, selected by the European Commission as one of the top 100 best operational groups in Europe for integrating forestry and livestock systems. He is also part of the CAP Network and teaches at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo.
His approach is rooted in deep experiential knowledge of rural territories and their complexity, fostering human connections, grassroots innovation, and a vision of farming that produces not only food, but also landscapes, culture, and social cohesion.
At 5PM we will drive back to Florence. Arrive at the hostel at approximately 7:30PM
Friday March 13th - Day 7: Rome! Visit to the Food and Agriculture Organization
Meet in the reception of the hostel at 7:30am.
We will walk all together to the train station. Make sure you wear comfortable footwear (Rome is BIG, 20,000 steps big), have a valid photo ID for entry to the Colosseum and for the FAO, and that you don’t have large bags with you.
Train ride: 8:14AM to 9:49AM
We will walk to the Colosseum. You have timed entry tickets for 11AM. Afterwards you have free time to get lunch.
Meet at the Arch of Constatine at 1:20PM.
2pm GUIDED TOUR - FAO MuNe and building
Join us at FAO Headquarters and discover how we work to achieve food security and sustainable agriculture. Continue your visit at the FAO MuNe for a deeper dive into the world of food and farming.During your visit, you will:
Explore FAO Headquarters, beginning at the Preamble to the Constitution Wall and stepping into the Plenary Hall, where world leaders meet to shape global food and agriculture policies.
Visit the FAO MuNe to uncover the history of food through culture, science and innovation — where timeless traditions meet modern technologies to shape a food-secure future.
120 minuti
After the tour, we will meet with Florí and Alice from the FAO, who will explain how their educational project with schools works, as part of the outreach and promotion work.
BE READY TO ASK QUESTIONS!!
This is a newly launched initiative for food education in Rome.
https://www.fao.org/director-general/news/details/fao-director-general-launches-food-education-partnership-with-the-city-of-rome-to-mark-fao-s-80th-anniversary/en
Our return train is scheduled for 8:10PM. Depending on your energy levels we can walk to the Pantheon or the Trevi Fountain or both. There will be some free time for a snack before we have to walk back to the train station.
Arrive back in Florence at 9:46PM.
Saturday March 14th - Day 8:
Free day and Farewell
Breakfast and dinner included
Free Day
The day is yours to experience Florence. If you would like to visit museums, I highly recommend making a reservation. Often popular sights will book out months in advance and there is not even the possibility of standing in line to get in. If you have your heart set on something book now!
One of the most popular things to do is climb the dome of the Duomo. This has a closed number of visitors everyday. Look out for websites that are reselling tickets. The best price for tickets is always on the authorized website. For Duomo tickets book here:
https://duomo.firenze.it/en/home
Farewell Dinner
We will be making our own dinner at a pasta making cooking class. I recommend having an afternoon snack as we will have to finish the cooking before we get to eat!! Meet in reception at 5:45pm.
Sunday March 15th - Day 9: FLY HOME
Breakfast included (Depending on flight times)
Check-out, make sure you collect all of your belongings, and HAND IN YOUR KEYS TO RECEPTION.
Our bus driver will pick us up in the Piazza and take us to the airport.
Emergency Contacts
Anna
Local Representative (Italy)
+39 328-729-0848
Craig
USA Contact
1-636-236-7928