La Torre alle Tolfe
Farm manager
Mania Castelli
Farm name
Azienda Agricola Torre alle Tolfe
Farm type
Olive farming and viticulture.
Location
Siena, Italy
Farm size
50 hectares
Primary soil type
Sandy loam
Temperature range
-2° – 40° Celsius, USDA 8b
Average precipitation
700mm/ year
Social structure
Family enterprise run by Mania with a team of 7 people
Sales channels
- Direct sales via farm shop, online website and club.
- B2B export through importers.
- B2B Italy via distributors and partnerships with biodiversity associations.
Produce
Wine and Olive oil
Contact
ANO
La Torre alle Tolfe transition to regenerative farming
Climate Farmer since
2025
Farm History
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The estate was originally built around an 8th-century lookout tower commissioned by Charlemagne.
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In 1953, the farm was purchased and lovingly restored over 17 years by Mania’s grandfather.
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Manias’s father later took over, opened the estate to the public, and transitioned it to organic farming in 2004.
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After 25 years working abroad, Mania moved back to the farm in 2015.
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In 2017, the family began biodiversity-focused agriculture, and in the next 2 years, they produced their first natural wines, and the hotel and restaurant opened.
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In 2023, inspired by her son, the family began the transition to regenerative agriculture.
Previous practices
- Organic fertilisers
- Minimal tillage
- Covercrops
- Rotational grazing
- Crimping grass cover
- Strategic treatments based on meteorological station data
Investment costs
- Project design consultants.
- Hydrological analysis consultant
- Branding and communication consultant
- Regenerative Agriculture training for all staff
- Housing for visiting volunteers
- New agricultural machinery and monitoring equipment
- Management & Online commercial software
- Agroforestry project ( trees in vineyards)
- Purchasing more cattle
New practices
Compost Tea
❍ Composting & Bio Fertilizers
Holistic managed grazing
❍ Rotational Grazing
Low-till
❍ Minimal Soil Disturbance
Green Manure
❍ Cover Cropping
Challenges we want to address with the transition
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Poor soil quality, including very low organic matter and a soil microbiome dominated by bacteria rather than a balanced, diverse community.
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Low resilience to drought which affects plant health and the ability to achieve full ripening, ultimately impacting product quality, yield, and therefore economic sustainability.
“It makes sense to me; it seems the best compromise between nature and farming, with a long-term vision. It also feels like the only way of producing that is compatible with climate change in the long term.
We are lucky to have a property that naturally lends itself to diversification. A lot of my family’s economic capital came from extractive activities, so this is an opportunity to rebalance the past and invest in the future.”
— The reason why Mania decided to transition to regenerative agriculture
Future ambitions
Use all our resources (people, buildings, landscapes, and knowledge) to place quality food at the very centre of who we are.
Become a hub for regenerative agriculture, using hospitality, experiences, wine, olive oil, vineyards, olive groves, our didactic farm, and the restaurant.
Hosting courses and workshops to connect people from all walks of life, of all ages and abilities to nature, soil, and food.
This farm is part of something bigger.
So can you. Apply for the Regenerative Agronomy Training.
Our partners
Our partners
