Azienda Agricola Ca De Memi

Ca' de Memi is a farm in Piombino Dese, with 13 hectares of fruit orchards, vegetable plots, and arable land all over the town. The big old manor house from the early twentieth century, the business’ headquarters and now also a guest-house, is one of the historic buildings in Piombino Dese. On a street in the centre, it is surrounded by a hectare of land given over to vegetable and flower gardens and the breeding of autochthonous Veneto hens. It offers bed and breakfast facilities subject to booking and also organises private events, small weddings and private cookery courses for Italians and foreigners. It also has a small shop, both physical and online with a varied assortment of healthy tasty products.

Ca’ de Memi raises rare autochthonous hens and cultivates an ancient variety of corn that risked extinction: Mais Cinquantino della Castellana. The vegetable garden is always filled with a variety of vegetables, herbs, fruit, and flowers. Products are grown according to the seasons and biodiversity, and it sources lesser-known ancient crops for its clients and guests. The main star of the garden is the huge, centuries-old magnolia tree that has seen so many people sit, chat, and party in the shade of its branches.
There are also dozens of different plants, long hydrangea hedges and a whole host of flowers. 

The characteristic ingredient of Ca’ de Memi products is Mais Cinquantino della Castellana, a short-season corn, mentioned in agrarian literature as one of the finest varieties in Veneto, before the high-yield American hybrids replaced it after the Second World War. With the help of Prof. Renato Ballan and other volunteer farmers, the local Condotta Slow Food and the Slow Mays Community, Ca’ de Memi has been working on recuperating this variety since 2013. The aim is to really safeguard biodiversity, selecting a good, clean, fair product able to create value for the entire community. This unique ingredient can be enjoyed in different ways, all full of flavour.