Driven By Biodiversity and Empty Spaces

Mania Castelli was born in Milan and moved to the United Kingdom when she was only 15 years old. After working as a mixed-practice countryside veterinarian for 25 years and raising a family of four children, she and her husband, a marine biologist specialising in biodiversity and climate change impact, returned to her family’s estate,Torre alle Tolfe, in the Tuscan Hills, where viticultural history dates back to the 1300s.

“My father had a brain haemorrhage a few days after we arrived.” Mania recalls. “After spending three months looking after him and managing the property on his behalf, I realized that Torre alle Tolfe has an incredible energy, which I felt should be shared with as many people as possible, which is why I opened the farm to tourism as soon as possible.”

While located in the Chianti region a stone’s throw from famous Siena and surrounded by picturesque Tuscan green hills and stoic pine trees, Mania and her husband were bothered by the lack of biodiversity in the monoculture vineyards. “I quickly decided to invest in an agronomer who would help us bring life back to the vineyards.” This was the farm’s entrance into viticulture, which accompanied Mania’s long held passion for olive oil production, which she also restored on the family farm. 

“In the first 5-7 years of farming, I realized my veterinary skills transferred and helped me to take a first principles approach to viticulture and oliviculture always looking for resilience and

prevention over intervention.”

Finding the Regenerative Way

Mania’s grandfather purchased the property in 1953 and back then it was primarily a sharecropping farm. The mechanization and chemicalization of the 1980s led to a period of extractive farming and monoculture, which eroded the land and it stripped it of its nutrients.

Despite this setback, Mania couldn’t ignore the palpable energy and incredible potential she felt while overlooking the olive groves.The first plan of action was to invest in an agronomer named Sasha. Through this collaboration, Torre alle Tolfe became committed to polyconical vase, a specific, highly efficient pruning and training system for olive trees.

A true family affair, Maina’s son was the one who introduced her to the concept of regenerative farming. He had started following several homesteaders like Alan Savoury, Joel Salatin and Richard Perkins on YouTube and shared the videos and findings with his mom.

Regeneration, however, is only half the story. The other half is survival. Like many small Italian farms, Torre alle Tolfe faced the fundamental challenge of economic viability, especially in a region as commercially saturated as Tuscany.

Transforming Ecological Capital into Economic Capital

Taking over a farm that has been operating since the 1300s and held by the family for generations comes with a legacy, As Mania explains, “There is a sense when family run farms are handed over to subsequent generations that it is easier to re-transform economic capital into ecological capital. This is where the privilege of land ownership becomes a responsibility and ownership becomes stewardship.”

Mania understood that value extends beyond capital gains and encompasses ecological value as well. Since taking over the farm, she and her husband have led the business based on values of democratic leadership, shared decision making, and a diverse set of revenue streams on the farm that make it resilient.

At the heart of Torre alle Tolfe is their bed and breakfast at the medieval “borgo,” which has been artfully restored. They also run a restaurant and have a wine and olive oil shop on site.

A cornerstone of their philosophy is experiential tourism, which invites guests to learn about regeneration through hands-on farm activities like grape harvesting, animal feeding, foraging, and cooking classes. As Mania shares, “We communicate our vision to our staff and visitors in an interactive, participatory, and sensorial way. All of our projects are also a means to communicate regenerative agriculture to shift mindsets and help the regenerative movement through many contexts.”

Torre alle Tolfe also host courses, collaborate with local schools, and take part in projects at the University of Siena. 

As Mania explains, “We aim for our team to be a caring community and strive to ensure that they have time and space to enjoy what the property has to offer, and to grow in their interests. Our guests, whether they be tourists, students, or other visitors, join our community transiently and are a way for us to encourage cultural exchange and transmit - through nature, agriculture, food, wine, oil, hospitability, experiences, and personal relationships - our values and lifestyle to others worldwide.”

Growth Through Community

Mania is an active member of several organizations such as Gestione Olistica Italia, Climate Farmers, Oliveti Biodiversi, DiversityArk, European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture, and FIVI. These intentional collaborations and partnerships lift their work into a wider, more meaningful context and their success story is an invitation to fellow farmers through Italy and the EU to keep moving forward.

She is honored to be part of Top 50 Farmers. “What we do can’t happen alone. We need to be part of a larger community and learn from each other. I want to help spread the word of regenerative farming, especially to young people.”

Sustainable care for the landscapes, the structures and historical heritage which make up Torre alle Tolfe, is made possible by a team of passionate, motivated people who share a love for nature and a commitment to minimizing climate change. “It’s not only a team effort, but a community effort” Mania explains “I am very proud of our team and although I have been chosen to speak on behalf of the farm, I truly believe we are all branches to the same tree.”

Written by Tana Schwarz