“The victory at Vinitaly was an important occasion for us. Coming first with our Zibibbo, an organic wine from the Badia agricultural company produced by the students and recognized as the best PGI white wine among those produced by other agricultural institutes in Italy was truly gratifying. And this is why we wanted to organize a month of events that, starting from this goal, could tell and celebrate the 150 years + 1 of our institute”.
These are the words with which the director of the “Abele Damiani” Agricultural Technical Institute of Marsala, Domenico Pocorobba, explains the idea of promoting a rich calendar of events that will take place throughout the month of May, aimed at celebrating the past, but also to look to the future with renewed hope, and then conclude with a great final event.
“For a series of reasons we should have celebrated this anniversary last year, but it was not possible – explains manager Pocorobba – After the result achieved at Vinitaly, we decided to do it this year: hence, our 150 years plus 1 , which I am proud to be able to celebrate with the students, teachers and all the school staff, who have been busy for weeks organizing the various scheduled events”.
The doors opened on May 7th with a meeting dedicated to the interaction between young entrepreneurs, “Open agricultural companies”, promoted by Coldiretti and aimed at fourth and fifth year students. The following day, May 8, it was the turn of the “Create and Innovate” seminar in Agriculture, which took place in the presence of researchers from Crea in Palermo, Giovanni Gugliuzza and Antonio Giovino, and professors Vittorio Farina and Enzo Alagna, teachers of the Agricultural Sciences Department of UniPa, who reported on the management of irrigation in the Mediterranean environment and on tropical fruit growing in Sicily.
The meeting was moderated by Professor Biagio Scavone, professor of “Damiani”. The seminar “Biodiversity of agricultural and environmental interest” was then held on 9 May, dedicated to the importance of strengthening agrobiodiversity. Industry experts such as Gaetano Siragusa and Domenico Madonia spoke, together with Dr. Nasca. Guest of the seminar, who was
an opportunity to talk about the valorization of local products, slow food and sustainable agriculture, the agricultural entrepreneur Francesca Simonte, owner of the Agricola Biologica Simonte company.
The rich calendar of meetings also includes a Coldiretti event dedicated to women and young people entitled “An opportunity for female and youth entrepreneurship”: an open discussion with a narrative that goes beyond academic boundaries to land on experience. At the speakers’ table, Santina Interrante, regional manager of Coldiretti Donne together with the provincial manager, Valeria Spata and the coordinators Lucia Traina and Susanna Bulgarella.
Among the interventions, those of Carla Giacalone, youth delegate, together with deputy Rocco Mangiaracina, who explained how business is done in the Trapani area in a broader vision, and Margherita Scognamillo, who offered an insight into the credit system for companies . Yesterday was instead dedicated to the seminar promoted by the Consortium for the protection of Marsala DOC wine “Marsala, a wine for the future”, held by prof. Ercole Alagna, who saw the conclusion of the confrontation with the
students a tasting of the wines of the Alagna company.
On May 21st, Assoenologi Sicilia with “The role of the agrotechnician and the oenologist for the future of our students” and “The role of the agricultural expert: what future for our students”, organized by the College of Agricultural Experts of the Province of Trapani.
