From Academic Rigor to Regenerative Heritage

The roots of Cascina Bagaggera - affectionately called "Baga" by locals - began in 1995 when founders Giuseppe and Paola, Marta’s parents, relocated to a historic estate dating back to the 17th century in Lombardy, Italy’s Montevecchia and Curone Valley Regional Park. A year later, a deeply personal catalyst reshaped the family’s and the farm’s mission.

As Marta explains, "In 1996, my brother was born with Down Syndrome. From there, my parents, especially my mother, tried to identify what a dignified future could look like for him."

This was the beginning of a social mission on the farm to create an inclusive community where all people and the land could thrive.

Marta went on to pursue a degree in agricultural science graduating in 2014. After gaining hands-on experience on prominent biodynamic farms, a devastating fire in 2017 tore through the family estate's historic buildings calling her back home. Facing a crisis that threatened to end her family's dream, Marta and her partner Elia chose to step up, return to the land full-time, and assume total leadership of the farm.

Using her scientific background, Marta designed a structured business plan to transform the recovery effort into an economically robust, highly diversified reality that would honor the principles of regeneration and foster social inclusion and education. social inclusion for children and adults.

Healing the Clay: The 25-Hectare Holistic Turnaround

When Marta’s family first took over the estate in 1995, the 11 hectares were dominated by intensive corn monocultures destined for animal feed. The heavy clay soil was compacted, exhausted, and eroding down the valley’s steep terraced slopes after years of conventional farming that treated the land like a factory.

Marta realised that restoring the landscape required a different way of thinking. Rather than forcing the land to fit the system, she began designing the farm around its natural characteristics, viewing the entire estate as one interconnected organism. "We carefully analyzed our ecosystem, observing the terraced slopes and heavy clay soil, which are ideal for dairy goats. They are lighter animals that love to climb and eat brambles. Their grazing method also wonderfully enhances the unproductive areas, so we decided to raise them instead. of cows"

Today, 105 Alpine Chamois-colored goats naturally maintain the steep slopes, clearing brambles while fertilising the land. To strengthen this regenerative cycle, Elia redesigned the farm's crop rotation in 2016 to achieve forage self-sufficiency. Working with the Seminare il Futuro Foundation, Marta introduced resilient heritage wheat varieties whose deep roots help loosen the clay soil naturally while providing flour for the farm's artisan bakery.

Rather than travelling through long supply chains, the bread and cheese move only a few metres to the Bottega (farm shop) and Agri-Ristoro (farm restaurant), where visitors gather around long wooden tables beneath the Curone Valley sky, experiencing the farm's regenerative cycle through the food it produces.

“We love this way of farming because it is comprehensive and helps us to manage all of the riches on our farm.” Marta explains. “It’s not just about the animals, but the soil, the people, and everything that surrounds, and includes the farm.”

Beyond the Soil: Cultivating Human Dignity and the Agrinido

Beyond farming, Cascina Bagaggera is committed to social justice and community transformation. They run an accredited preschool where little kids learn directly from nature. They also operate as an official certified Fattoria Sociale (Social Farm) and advocate for global knowledge sharing, opening its gates to international youths from the WWOOF circuit who arrive to exchange regenerative techniques.

Since 2015, Cascina Bagaggera has actively challenged modern social isolation by seamlessly weaving therapeutic care into the farm’s daily operations.

In collaboration with the Corimbo APS Association, Cascina Bagaggera’s staff includes young adults with vulnerabilities through internships and job placements. As Marta says "Here, inclusion isn't a corporate checkbox. It is baked into the daily routine. Whether it is a shared morning coffee break, a communal lunch, or the painstaking task of bottling fresh goat's cheese, everyone works together no matter who you are."

Marta and Elia see Cascina Bagaggera as a hub for welcoming and supporting young people. This starts with you and extends into continued education. As Marta explains, “No one is excluded from regeneration. Our programs and daily operations reflect this. They go beyond simple agricultural techniques. It’s also a journey of personal growth.”

Beyond the Banks of the Curone: The Next Horizon 

What began as a family’s search for a dignified path for a beloved son has matured into a living proof of concept. Over the next ten to twenty years, Cascina Bagaggera aims to expand its horizons, transitioning from a local sanctuary into a global knowledge incubator for farmers, agricultural technicians, and policymakers. It’s this kind of vision that also earned them The Good Farmer Award in 2024.

As Marta shares, “I believe that a farm should be judged by how cleanly it protects its surrounding environment and how it treats its people. Human community and ecology are inextricably linked.” This concept is woven into every aspect of Cascina Bagaggera.

Rather than keeping their successes local, Marta and her team hope to formalize and share their unique system of farming so that other rural communities around the world can replicate this harmony of regenerative agriculture and radical social care. As Marta explains, For me, it’s important to communicate how the farm must have a healthy balance sheet. Otherwise, we are just telling a good story without any possibility to grow and be independent from the entire system. This is a big topic in the regenerative movement that I am excited to discuss more. We need more farms that have a healthy economic life.”

To make this vision a reality, Marta is leveraging her participation in Top 50 Farmers. She also notes the importance of her team. “We are over 30 people working to uphold the vision and values of Cascina Bagaggera. None of this would be possible without our incredible team.”

Cascina Bagaggera demonstrates to the global farming community that the fields of tomorrow can successfully cultivate both rich, resilient soil and resilient, diverse communities. “The future of food isn't just about what we pull from the earth,” Marta says, “It's also about who we bring along with us."

Written by Top 50 Farmers and Angelo Tarquini