Val Venosta, situated in the South Tyrol region of Italy, is already known across Europe as a leading source of fresh apples. But the fact that the area can pretty much count on 300 days of sunshine per year makes it ideal not only for growing high-quality apples but also for producing vegetables.
At altitudes from 500m to 1,650m, the lack of rain as well as the alternation between cold, glacial and warm, Mediterranean air currents combines with mild days which turn into fresh nights, giving Val Venosta vegetables an unmistakable freshness, crispness and aroma that are typical of high mountain culture.
Vegetable production in the region is made all the more important by the fact that it is available in summer, when production of things like cauliflower, iceberg lettuce and Treviso radicchio at lower altitude is no longer found.
Cauliflower harvesting in Val Venosta begins in May
All of South Tyrol, and in particular the areas north of Bolzano such as Val Passiria, Val d'Isarco and Val Pusteria, offer excellent conditions for growing vegetables, but in Val Venosta itself some 50 per cent of summer vegetable production is concentrated.
'Cauliflower is the most typical and common vegetable across our production area, which covers 150,114ha in the areas around Lasa, Oris and Val Martello,' explains Reinhard Ladurner, director of Alpe, which is one of seven cooperatives belonging to VI.P, the association of Val Venosta Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Cooperatives. 'This year, the cauliflower harvest began at the beginning of May and the results are expected to be very good. Until early October, when harvesting finishes, we expect to reach around 4,000 tonnes.'
To this figure will be added 100 tonnes of radicchio and 400 tonnes of other vegetables - mainly white cabbage, sauerkraut, beetroot, potatoes and iceberg lettuce.
'The fresh and airy climate is good for getting cauliflower with excellent arrangement of florets,' adds Mr Ladurner. 'With its pleasing and balanced aroma and its typical, authentic taste, this is a fresh and natural product on which Alpe makes quality checks according to the protocol developed by VI.P. The association has always maintained certified, natural production methods which protect and respect the environment and the end consumer, guaranteeing the maximum level of quality and naturalness.'
According to Mr Ladurner, the system employed by VI.P cooperatives is unique in Europe, characterised by rigid standards and strict checking systems. 'From production to delivery, the quality path allows traceability from the product right back to the producer.'
Cauliflowers produced by the Val Venosta cooperative Alpe usually measure around 14-18cm across and packaged directly in the field eight to a carton. Harvesting begins at five in the morning and by midday everything that's been cut is brought to the cooperative. Having passed through quality control, the vegetables are sent that very same day to wholesalers in Italy and abroad. Thanks to efficient logistics, they arrive on the shelf within a maximum of a day and a half after the harvest, guaranteeing the client a product that is fresh and high quality.
With their own sales network, the Alpe and Oveg cooperatives can claim to be the leading producers of summer cauliflower in Italy. The Val Venosta brand offers a guarantee of premium quality vegetables and is synonymous with tradition, credibility, transparency and safety - all brought together for a healthy and natural life.
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