Vita in Campagna, the great show on hobby farming

The exhibition organized by the Vita in Campagna magazine will be held in Montichiari, in the province of Brescia, from 23 to 25 March. Among the new entries for the 2018 edition, stand out the subject of environmental sustainability and an entire hall dedicated to educational farms

Technologies for horticulture, gardening and small-scale agriculture, but also companion animals, small breedings and educational farms, without forgetting country houses and the excellent “made in Italy” food. From 23 to 25 March, the world of hobby farming meets up in Montichiari (Brescia) for the 2018 edition of la Vita in Campagna exhibition. This reality has, only in Italy, over 1.2 million enthusiasts, with a business of 1.2 billion euro per year. The exhibition, organized by the magazine of the same name, edited by the Informatore Agrario, will host over 300 exhibitors on a total surface of 35,000 square meters and 7 halls, with a programme including over 200 workshops and non-stop technical meetings held by over 40 experts. The core of the exhibition, will be the subject of environmental sustainability, a common thread for the various areas in which the event is structured. The starting focus is on gardens in hall 2, dedicated to the products of specialized nurseries and on a rich programme of open workshops (from plant selection to cultivation, to gardening in vases, and pruning of fruit trees), scheduled in the three days of the exhibition. Vegetables, herbs and aromatic plants, seeds, fertilizers and equipment for gardening are instead the core of the “horticulture area” in hall 5, with detailed descriptions of the selection of vegetables, and cultivations which are functional to exploting weather conditions and best use of resources such as time and space. In the foreground, the care for country houses and animals, with the exposition of chickens, rabbits, sheeps, goats, miniature pigs, and the debut of the pet therapy.

To this rich programme is to be added the Salon of Origin, with agro-food biodiversity represented by hundreds of 100% made in Italy products from all over the country and a cooking show initiative. For the first time, in this year’s edition, an entire hall (Pavilion 3) will be dedicated to educational farms, while hall 1 opens a window on historical agricultural machinery provided by the Pietro Laverda Historical Archive. The focus will be on the four seasons with a comparison between ancient tools for manual labour and equipment, protagonists of the first agricultural mechanization (mowers, plows and seeders, shredders, crushers and wine presses), enriched by vintage photos and the projection of historical films. And still, on the subject of agricultural machinery, Vita in Campagna puts on display the main brands for gardening, orchards and vineyards with an accurate proposal of machines and equipment for both professional and hobby farming. These vehicles are, above all, low-powered tractors, tillers and roraty cultivators, lawnmowers, brushcutters, chainsaws, blowers, shakers and beaters, bio-shredders and other equipment for the maintenance of green areas or loppers for pruning and grafting operations. “Thanks to its “maket-exhibition” formula – explain the organizers – Vita in Campagna offers not only a place to meet up and learn new issues, but also an opportunity to purchase directly at the trade fair. The growing success of this event, that last year hosted 40,000 visitors, reflects the spirit of the ever-growing population of hobby farmers and supporters of “life in the countryside.”