Educational farms

The farm is located in the municipality of Charvensod, on a promontory that looks down onto the city of Aosta and offers views out over the surrounding mountains.
His own extremely positive experience of allowing his children to help with the everyday work on the farm prompted Fabio to offer a similar opportunity to other children. Following the example of an adult engaged in common-sense activities, children have the opportunity to learn about the age-old connection with the land, tuning back into the natural rhythm of nature through manual work, as well as contact with natural materials and with animals.
The farm is surrounded by fields, woodland and vineyards.
The main activity is cattle rearing, and the farm also has a vegetable and flower garden, orchard and walnut trees.

Educational activities
A day with the farmer to observe how jobs on the farm vary from season to season:

• sowing crops and the pace of growth of flowers and vegetables;
• taking care of the animals indoors;
• out in the pastures with the farmer;
• preparing the meadows in the spring;
• gathering and baling hay in the summer.

A journey through nature: the chance to discover our body on the move with the numerous routes around the farm during the various seasons.
A number of activities take place in the barn, in the hayshed or in the farmer’s home, but most are outdoor activities, sometimes involving the animals.

How to reach the farm
In the Turin-Aosta direction, take the “Aosta Est” motorway exit and follow the indications for Pila. When you reach the village of Charvensod, take the first road on the right that climbs up to the centre of the village. At the top of the climb, turn right again and go along the road for about 400 metres until you reach the private road that leads to the farm.

NaturaLys is a family-run mountain farm specialised in bee-keeping and growing fruits and vegetables, situated in Gaby in the Lys Valley.
Acacia, chestnut, rhododendron and mixed mountain flower honeys are produced and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, courgettes, cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, French beans, lettuces, etc.) and small fruits (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, currants and blackberries) are grown. In the summer, these are sold fresh in the shop and or transformed into jams, juices and other delicacies produced without using additives, preservatives, or colourings in farm workroom. Naturalys is also a holiday farm where you can taste sweet or salty snacks prepared daily with the extra-fresh raw material from the farm.

The spacious outdoor area is equipped with a wooden playhouse for the children, which contains a wooden toy kitchen and all what children need to play.
Vegetable gardens, fields of potatoes and small fruit patches surround the farm, which is entirely flat ground, and can easily be visited.
Inside there is a television room to project videos and photos, and a guest bathroom.

Visit to the farm with product tasting

The farm owners love to tell people about their work, especially those who live in the city and want to get to know the life of mountain farmers and the fascinating world of honey and the life of bees.
Cost of the visit + tasting per person: 16 € adults, 10 € children 4-12 years, free for children under 3 years.
Number of visitors required for the visit: min. 8 paying visitors.
Duration of the visit : about 1 ½ hours.

Educational workshops

Workshops are organised for schools and summer centres, tailored to the needs, interest and age of the children.

How to get there

Exit the Torino-Aosta motorway at Pont-Saint-Martin; follow signs to Gressoney for around 15 km. The farm has a large car park; it is also possible to park in an unattended, public car park situated a few metres from the farm. A few metres from the farm there is a bus stop of the Pont-Saint-Martin / Gressoney line managed by V.I.T.A. 

The farm breeds around 90 cattle in the stables, including steers and calves, most of which are dappled black and chestnut cow breeds, the nèyre and the dappled red breed. Each cow has a name, a cowbell, horns and above all its own character…! This farming familt has been preserving its tradition for over 50 years.
On the farm you can also visit the henhouse and rabbit hutch. The orchard and vegetable garden next to the farmhouse produce fruit (pears, apples, peaches, figs, kiwis…) and vegetables (courgettes, carrots, lettuce, green beans…) used in the farm's menu. Ileana, the person in charge of the farm visits, together with Barbara, Michel, Didier and the whole family, try to show children and adults the passion with which they carry out their work by giving their guests the opportunity to know something more about the agricultural reality they experience every day.

Activities

You can choose between a half-day or a full day. For school educational visits, in addition to lunch at the farm restaurant, you can also use the indoor hall or the meadow for a packed lunch.

Educational farm prices:

• Half day: 10 €
• Full day with packed lunch: 15 €
• Full day with lunch at the farm: 20/25 €

Educational farm activities are run exclusively for groups of children.  

In July and August, activities and workshops are also offered to discover the farm, visit the farm website to find out more.

How to get there

From the SS 26 state highway, follow the signs to Pollein-Pila. At about 1 Km from the centre of Pollein, the agritourism farm, a peach coloured building, is on the right, just after the petrol station. The company is easily reachable by private coach (parking adjacent to the farm), and by bus (Saint-Benin bus stop).

The farm has been operating since 1991, using exclusively organic methods and directly controlling each stage of the production process. Its philosophy is based on multi-functionality and rural tourism as important opportunities for growth and enhancement of the agricultural sector as they transmit, especially to young people, an image of the figure of the farmer who is attentive to the preservation of traditions and rural culture, but also open to the future through research and the implementation of sustainable agricultural systems that respect the environment.
The farm’s hillside location, on terraced fields with good exposure to the sun, allows for the production of fine single-flower honeys, the cultivation of small fruits and fruit trees, as well as the cultivation of vegetables in open fields or greenhouses, both for direct sale and for the processing of fruit and vegetables into jams and preserves. All products can be purchased from the farm shop (a notice by telephone is recommended).

Educational activities
1. Bees: social organisation and products of the hive (designed for tourists and families)
Through the direct observation with the aid of an educational beehive and a demonstration of the use of working tools, participants will be led to approach the world of bees and discover their secrets. In addition to the visit, it is possible to visit the beekeeping museum in Châtillon.

2. The organic vegetable garden and orchard (designed for schools)
Example of a vegetable growing cycle, with preparation of the soil, sowing and transplanting; recognition of the main fruit trees and their distinctive characteristics.

3. Solar energy and its various uses on the farm
The description and visit to the different areas of the farm will illustrate some topics such as photosynthesis, drying, greenhouse cultivation and the production of electrical energy through photovoltaic solar systems.

Period of activity and intended recipients
The activities are organised from March to October for schools and in summer for families and summer camps.

Welcoming capacity
Min. 10, max. 25 people. It is possible to use equipped outdoor spaces and, in case of bad weather, to use indoor spaces for the activities and to eat your packed lunch.

How to get there
Travelling along A5 motorway, exit at the Châtillon - Saint-Vincent tollgate and take the road S.S. 26 driving for 8 km towards Aosta until the roundabout in Champagne (Verrayes): turn left uphill on the regional road 42 (signposts for Verrayes - Colle San Pantaleone) and ascend for 4 km until you find the car park and a wooden sign for the hamlet of Cherolinaz.