THE FOOD CHAIN
“There must be a better way to make the things we want, a way that doesn’t spoil the sky or the rain or the land” (Paul McCartney)
To us “food chain” means “family”. Being a part of ViVa family means sharing the values and the principles of a healthy agriculture, respectful of nature pace and rhythms – nature is wise though unpredictable! – of the land we want to protect from useless agressive treatments and as well of the activities of all the people included in our food chain project, who have to achieve an appropriate value and satisfaction for the work they do.
Move the tractor and find out how ViVa is born
1 – An accurate selection
Farms included in ViVa project were chosen after a careful analysis. Essential pre-condition is that they have their own cattle and pig farm where to gain manure, the best 100% natural fertiliser, for a circular and sustainable food chain.
4 - Variety means quality
ViVa is the result of different wheat cultivar, each having their own peculiar features, changing according to the weather conditions of the area. In order to have a “technological” perfect flour, steady and with a unique fragrance, our miller constantly “studies” the evolution of the sowing to identify the best blend from different varieties.
7 - Clean is better
The harvested wheat is carried to our collection centre in Villafranca Piemonte, Turin. Here, it is subject to cleaning and selection of the grains, performed only through a mechanical procedure aimed to remove all the natural impurities.
10 - A perfect mix for the best blend
Chopin alveograph, Brabender farinograph, extensograph: these are only some of the technological tools used to check the features of our wheat.
To obtain the best blend, we start from the technological features we wish to achieve with our flour (gluten development, protein percentage, extension capacity, dough tightness) so to define the mix, which is different for each of ViVa products.
2 - The ideal soil
Our cereals grow in selected fields around Cuneo and Turin.
We chose different areas because each soil owns distinct geological features that suit a particular cultivar better than any other. We want no forcing acts: we believe that man should adapt to nature. Not the opposite.
5 - Preparing the soil
The sowing bed is prepared during the first days of October after a plentiful distribution of manure. Plowing and milling the ground comes afterwards. Sowing is made in the second half of the month. Weather permitting, of course. After the germination of the grain the land is permitted a long winter rest, better under a layer of snow.
8 - Keep an eye on the invisible enemy!
A quality product is a healthy product. So, in order to grant a total safety warranty to the customer, before proceeding with the milling we bring all our wheat to a lab, where it undergoes strict tests (to prove the absence of DON, aflatoxins, ochratoxins, pesticides, molds, staphylococcus, coliform bacterias, salmonella and foreign bodies)
11 - Stone milling…100% molten rock
We chose the stone milling, and again we chose a peculiar one. We chose to use only 100% natural molten rock from Etna slopes, the hardest rock existing in nature to create millstones, granting a total absence of mineral residues during milling.
Our millstones only rotates 80 times per minute (compared to modern stone mills, whose speed goes from 120 to 150 rotations per minute) allowing therefore the product to come out at room temperature without any alterations. In this way the grain does not overheat and maintains its nutritional and organoleptic features.
3 - A good agriculture, that is good for you
Together with the Faculty of Agricultural Science of Turin University we have drawn up a cultivation specification standard shared and undersigned by all the farmers who joined ViVa project. The standard is based on integrated farming principles, a collection of good practice rules for a sustainable and non-intensive farming. The basis of this farming method is the crop rotation, a practice of which use we have the proof in Italy already starting from 1500, consisting in alternating dissimilar crops on the same plot of land year after year. By the crop rotation a natural improvement of the soil fertility, the reduction of parasitic diseases and infesting plants can be achieved. This allows a more focused intervention, avoiding useless additional product disposal in the groundwater.
6 - Born, grown and…harvested
During Spring time wheat awakens and the sprout starts growing. During this delicate and essential phase, we travel along with the plant by its constant monitoring performed together with the technical staff. Wheat is ready for threshing when the grain has lost most of its humidity – usually between end of June and beginning of July. During the threshing the combine-harvester is driven very slowly along the plot of land so to avoid any gran damage or overheating.
9 - Dedicated warehouse
Our three wheat cultivar are stocked separately in single batches, so to be able to analyse their peculiar technological features. In this way we can create the best blend.
12 - Sifting
We want ViVa to be a complete flour from a nutritional point of view, rich in fibres and including the entire wheat grain, so we decided not to produce any “00” or “0” flours, starting from a “Type 1” sifting until reaching wholegrain one.
13 - Under strict control
The pureness of ViVa flour is certified: the product constantly undergoes microbiological tests and analysis (filth test) to verify the absence of mineral particles or foreign bodies of any other nature.
14 - An up to the mark packaging
For our flour ViVa we studied a very peculiar packaging. The bag has three layers, the most internal one is made of cellulose paper for food use, while the external one is made of glossy patinated paper. In this way we allow the air to enter and to let the flour “breathe”, maintaining its natural fragrances and keeping them alive for a smelling experience of the customer.
15 - Resting
Like all the 100% natural raw materials, also ViVa flour is subject to stress during its production. For this reason, before sending it out to the market we permit it a fortnight period of rest for its stabilization in the most natural way.
