History
Te lo porto Bio, which translates as "I bring you organic" in French, is run by Carlo and his cousin Rocco. Their profiles are complementary as Rocco comes from a farming family and Carlo handles the commercial side.
After 7 years in conversion, they have now been certified 100% organic for over 2 years. They grow 12 hectares of produce, mainly blood oranges and apricots. The blood orange varieties are mainly Tarroco and Moro. The trees produce oranges after 3 years. Production peaks after 7 years. There are 3 varieties of oranges: those they produce at the beginning, middle and end of the season, which means they can be harvested from mid-December to mid-March. Nearby Mount Etna has a major impact on the climate, including the difference in temperature between day and night, which gives the blood oranges their red colour. On 1 hectare, they can produce up to 20,000 kilos of oranges (compared with 30,000 kilos in conventional production). The tree produces oranges once a season (unlike lemon trees, for example, which produce 3 times) - once ripe, they can remain on the tree for up to two months! Oranges require 5,000 m³ of water per hectare. Apricot trees produce around 30 kilos of fruit a year, and there are 4,000 of them! From February to March, to boost pollination, a beekeeper comes with hives that he places on the land. On site, they have a 150-year-old well dug 7-8m deep and another 180m deep, so they have no water problems. Te lo porto is only at the beginning of its project and is thinking about new crops!
Carlo, whom we met, is the main contact forInterbio in Sicily. His professional experience allows him to act as an "agent for producers". Not always speaking English or having the necessary network of contacts, producers need help to export their goods. Carlo therefore acts as an intermediary between Sicilian producers and European distributors to ensure that the relationship between the latter is as healthy as possible.
We were lucky enough to spend three days with Carlo who shared with us his extensive knowledge of the organic sector in Sicily and Europe, and it was very rewarding for us to learn more.
At The Barn Bio Market, we work hand in hand with producers to bring you quality organic products, always at the best price!
