Introduction & Overview Group Size: 14 Students & Dr. Michael Gunderson

Suggested Trip Outline & Ideas

May 11th – 20th, 2016 “Made in Italy: Agricultural Economics in Central Italy” is a 10-day faculty-led student trip through the Italian regions of Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, & Liguria. This is a uniqueopportunity for a select group of Purdue University students to experience Italy in an authentic and immersive way.

The primary academic purpose of this program is to educate students on the Italian food-value chain through personal in-field experiences. Topics of study include local agriculturepractices, small-scale sustainable food production, food-marketing, and the domestic and international food value chain.

Throughout the trip, students will meet with various local producers and companies to learn about the production, marketing, anddistribution of select local and international products. Of special note, students will visit producers of Parmigiano-Reggiano, Brunello diMontalcino & Prosciutto di Parma. Tours will also be scheduled at the ALMA International School, the Port of Genoa, and a Parmalatdairy production site. By the end of the trip, students will have a strong understanding of the numerous and highly integrated companiesoperating within the different stages of the Italian and international food value chain.

Although the trip’s primary goals are academic, a wide array of hands-on and cultural activities (e.g. cooking classes, historical tours) will beincluded throughout the trip to give students a wider appreciation of the food, history and culture of Italy. As a final incentive for a week ofintensive touring, the students will enjoy 3 days in the enchanting Cinque Terre to relax and explore.

Tuesday, May 10 Depart USADepart from our home cities in the United States on an overnight flight to Florence,Italy. Some of us may be traveling in Europe and will need to prepare to join the groupon Wednesday in Florence.

Wednesday, May 11 Arrive TuscanyOn arrival in Florence, we will be met at the airport for a privatetransfer to our accommodations. We will be staying at Castello diGargonza, a thirteenth- century fortified village located in the heartof Tuscany. The remainder of the day is at our leisure to strollthrough the forest trails nearby, take a dip in the panoramicswimming pool, or simply relax after a long flight. This evening, wewill enjoy a casual reception and dinner at our castleaccommodations.

Overnight: Castello di Gargonza, Tuscany. Included Meals: Dinner

Thursday, May 12 TuscanyThis morning, we commence our formal research. Appropriately,we will begin on a small-scale organic farm located in the fertilehills of Tuscany. Hiking though sloping hills and forests, we willbe guided by the local proprietor as he explains the agriculturalpractices used on his farm and in the region.

Following our morning tour, we will transfer to the village ofMontalcino, a walled medieval town that dates back to theEtruscans (4th Century BC). It is in this region that Tuscany’spowerhouse red wine, the Brunello di Montalcino, originates.Being one of the first wines granted DOCG (Controlled Designation of Origin) statusin Italy, it is no surprise that this wine is considered by many to be the premier wine ofItaly. Following lunch and a short visit of the town, we will makeour way to a nearby winery for a tour on wine production andmarketing.

This evening, we will stop in the town of Arezzo for a lesson inbasic Italian. After class, students will have some free time toexplore Arezzo and enjoy dinner before heading back to thehotel.

Overnight: Castello di Gargonza, Tuscany. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Friday, May 13 TuscanyNow that we have fallen in love with authentic Tuscan cuisine, we will learn how toprepare our own meals with a private cooking class. We begin with a stop in the localmarket to purchase our ingredients and observe the local retail economy. We will usefresh, local ingredients and combine education and fun as we prepare our lunch.

This afternoon we will visit a local olive mill to learn about traditional productiontechniques of some of the world’s most famous olive oil. We willthen continue on to the model renaissance town of Pienza tostretch our legs before heading to a local Chianina cow farm wherebeef and cheese are produced. Guided by the owner, we will tourthe fields and farms as we develop a better appreciation of animalhusbandry and cheese production in the area. We will dine hereon local products from the farm before heading back to ourCastello.

Overnight: Castello di Gargonza. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Saturday, May 14 Emilia-RomagnaAfter breakfast, we depart for Italy’s greatest gastronomic treasure, the fertile Emilia-

Romagna region. Considered one of the wealthiest European regions,Emilia Romagna has developed a well-balanced economy thatcomprises Italy's biggest agricultural sector. Emilia-Romagna’seconomy is upheld by high-quality products geared to export markets.We have many unique opportunities over the next 3 days to study andvisit the organizations behind these well-marketed brands.

After our arrival and check in at our agriturismo, La Madonnina, wewill transfer to Traversetolo, an area known as the Parma Food Valley

where Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano are produced (among otherproducts). Today we will learn about prosciutto production with a stop at La Rosadell’Angelo. After a lunch of cold cuts and fresh baked bread at the prosciutto bar, we

will take a guided tour along the path of “prosciutto crudo”production. Our tour includes a walk through the woods and fieldswhere the black pigs are free to roam, as well as, the salting andaging rooms where prosciutto is processed.

After our tour, we will enjoy a touch of sightseeing with a visit tothe Sanvitale’ Fortress in Fontanellato. The fortress is a charmingexample of local architecture and stands in the center of townsurrounded by a mote. This fortress also features a frescoed room byParmigianino, the renowned mannerist painter. After touring, we

will have time to explore the town of Fontanellato and stop for an afternoon gelato.

This evening we will have a special dinner prepared by the hosts at our agriturismo.

Overnight: Azienda Agricola La Madonnina. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Made in Italy: Agricultural Economics in Central ItalyPurdue University Faculty-Led Student Abroad Program in Italy

Parma

Sanvitale’ Fortress

Tuscany

Sunday, May 15 Emilia-RomagnaThis morning after breakfast, we will take a guided tour of the fields surrounding ouraccommodations. Walking through the vineyards, the owner will demonstrate theprocesses of binding the shoot and transforming a great grape into a great wine usingthe traditional methods of the region. After the tour, lunch will be on your own at thefarmhouse.

After lunch, we will be transferred to Parma for a guided visit of alocal superstore. From there, we can enjoy the rest of our Sundayin a leisurely manner discovering the fascinating and beautifultown of Parma. The afternoon and evening are free to exploreParma or relax at the farmhouse. Dinner is on your own.

Overnight: Azienda Agricola La Madonnina. Included Meals: Breakfast

Monday, May 16 Emilia-RomagnaThis morning following breakfast, we will travel to a Parmigiano Reggianomanufacturing plant where we will learn the phases of cheese production and visit theseasoning rooms with product sampling.

Next we head to the ALMA The International School of Italian Cuisine where willtake a cooking class in the magnificent 18th-century-Ducal Palace of Colorno.ALMA is the world’s leading international educational andtraining center for Italian Cuisine. Although students generallyspend many months here in training, our condensed visit willcomprise of a customized course with a lesson given by accreditedexperts in nutrition, food and wine. Our course will concludewith lunch.

Later this morning we will visit a producer of one of Italy’s mostunique and prized products, Culatello di Zibello. This Italiansalami is produced in the flatlands near the Po River where theparticular climate is ideal for aging the meat. This is another localproduct that has been given the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) label from theEuropean Union.

Our final tour for the day will be a guided visit to themultinational Italian dairy and food corporation, ParmalatCompany. Here we can observe the several phases in theproduction of long-life milk including the arrival of the milk, themain heat treatments which make it safe for consumption, thepackaging, the storage, and the shipping to the stores. This evening dinner is on your own at the hotel or itssurroundings.

Overnight: Azienda Agricola La Madonnina. Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Tuesday, May 17 LiguriaAfter breakfast today we will travel to our next destination, the Italian Riviera andthe villages of the Cinque Terre. Along the way, we will stop at the historical port cityof Genoa. With a long history as a rich and powerful trade center, this port city wasonce one of the largest and wealthiest cities of Renaissance Europe. It also was the

boyhood home of Christopher Columbus. We will be touring thePort of Genoa, a major Italian seaport on the Mediterranean Sea.With a trade volume of 51.6 million tons, it is the busiest port ofItaly by cargo tonnage. After touring, we will have free time forlunch.

Continuing on, we arrive at Monterosso, the northern most of thefamed Cinque Terre villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia,Manarola, and Riomaggiore). Our activities in the Cinque Terredon’t get much more elaborate than walking from one lovely village

to another along trails that afford spectacular vistas, swimming in the Mediterranean,basking in the sun on our own waterside boulders or indulging in the tasty local foodand wine.

Overnight: Albergo Marina, Monterrosso. Included Meals: Breakfast

Wednesday, May 18 Cinque TerreToday is an open day to explore the Cinque Terre at leisure.There are a number of ways to experience the area: by foot, byferry or by train. The ideal way to see the beauty of the landscapeis by walking the well-laid out trails connecting each village to itsneighbors. However, for a more relaxed and less strenuousapproach, there is a passenger ferry service running between thefive villages, providing a different vantage point of the ruggedcoastline and charming villages.

Overnight: Albergo Marina, Monterrosso. Included Meals: Breakfast

Thursday, May 19 Cinque TerreWanderlust won’t permit just a single day on the slopes of CinqueTerre. A unique and beautiful location such as this requires asecond. Once again, the day is yours to explore.

Don’t wander too far, as this evening the group will meet inMonterosso for a farewell dinner.

Overnight: Albergo Marina, Monterrosso. Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Friday, May 20 DepartTransfers will be provided to airports in Genoa, Pisa or Milano. Depart for the USA orcontinue your travel throughout Italy and Europe.

Included Meals: Breakfast

Michael Gunderson Michael Gunderson joined Purdue University as an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics in August2012. In addition to his responsibilities teaching in Purdue’s undergraduate and graduate classrooms on campus, he is also heavilyinvolved in designing, developing and delivering non-credit, professional development programs through the department’s Centerfor Food and Agricultural Business.

After earning his doctorate from Purdue in 2006, Mike spent six years in the Food and Resource Economics Department at theUniversity of Florida (UF). While there, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in agricultural finance, marketing andstrategy. Mike’s research focuses on understanding the factors that influence the financial success of agribusiness firms. He haspublished 20 peer-reviewed articles on topics such as service quality in agribusiness input industries, agricultural land values andagribusiness management.

Summary of Services• Accomodations for 9 Nights• Private tours and guides throughout the trip• Transportation throughout the trip• Meals: 9 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners • Entrance and Admission Fees• Gratuities for guides, drivers, hotels & included meals

Price: $3,500 per personSingle Supplement applies

Biography of trip host

Cinque Terre

Riomaggiore

Port of Genoa