Produzioni Animali: Exploring Animal Production in Italy By Jessica Kern

Day One We went on a guided tour of Milan. I found out that Milan has the first ever toll bridge and that buses must circle their way around the city center instead of driving to it in a straight line. The Duomo Mariae Nascenti is the famous cathedral in Milan. It took over 500 years to build and is constantly being remodeled because the stone used to build it is very porous. My favorite thing I saw on the tour was Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper. In an effort to keep the painting from deteriorating, each group is allowed only 15 minutes to view it. Our tour guide was very informative and told us about all the symbolism in the painting. Overall, the day was a great start to the trip and it introduced me to a lot of Italy’s culture and history.

Day Two I learned from Marco, our tour guide for the trip, that cheese and pork are essential to Italian cuisine and the rules for agriculture in Italy are very strict. One of these regulations is that they do not allow GMOs. I also learned that land in Italy is much more expensive than in the United States. It costs about $30,000 per acre in Italy. This day we visited two dairy farms and went wine tasting. The first dairy we went to was the University of Milan’s experimental dairy farm. Like with Purdue’s farms, the students conduct research with these cows. The

second dairy we visited was a commercial dairy that had its own automated milking robots. We got to go in small groups to see how one of these robots works. The vineyard we toured was about 500 acres and produces grapes for 16 different types of wine. We tasted two red wines, one white wine, and one sparkling wine. Day Three We went into the Italian Alps to visit a sheep farm and were able to see one of three herds. All the sheep breed naturally, and there is one male for every 60 females. They also have about 20 goats in with the sheep to offer milk when the sheep don’t produce enough. The sheep are in the mountains from June through August because these months are the hottest, and the cooler weather in the high altitudes allows for better production and more grass. Their sheep are checked by the health department once a

year and are given treatments for parasites twice a year. Each herd has about 900 sheep, and the herders use sheepdogs to move the sheep. After we saw the herd, we went to look at the housing for the shepherds and the barn where they keep the pregnant and newborn sheep. Then, we went to the farm’s restaurant in the mountain and ate some of their product. After we left the sheep farm, we toured Bergamo Alta and saw the ruins of a Roman city and many other historical buildings. There was one church we visited that has since been found to have been built on top of two other churches.

Day Four We visited an artificial insemination (AI) center for Brown Swiss cattle and learned more about Italian dairy production. 58 percent of milk in Italy is used to make cheese, and only 7 percent of dairy cows in Italy are Brown Swiss. Because Brown Swiss are heartier than Holsteins and other breeds, they are more commonly found in the mountainous regions of Italy, and their herds are generally smaller. Brown Swiss can also be found in warmer climates because they resist production loss due to heat stress. After the AI

center, we went rafting in Verona on the Adige River, which is the second longest in Italy. This was my first time rafting, and based on the experience, I would love to do it again. After the rafting excursion we toured the city. This tour included Juliet’s house and balcony. This particular spot was crowded due to its popularity, even though Shakespeare had never been to Verona, and the balcony was built for tourists only 80 years ago. Day Five We visited the Cargill office in Sospiro. We toured their feed mill and lab areas and heard about what they do. They have five plants in Italy, mostly in the north because that’s where most of the market is. Only one plant is located in the south. After visiting with Cargill, we went to a Grana Padano Cheese Factory that is part of a coop with 25 milk producers. This factory is allowed to make 5 million forms of Grana Padano each year. This limit was imposed to prevent prices from falling. The cheese must be aged at least one year, and each 80 pound wheel costs 300 euro at 20 months. After the cheese producer, we visited another dairy. This one is one of the most renowned in Italy for its genetics. The dairy had both a production herd and a show herd. The living arrangements for these cows was more advanced than at the other dairies we visited. There were enough stalls for each cow to have their own, and the bedding used for postpartum cows was made with coconut fiber. They also had a machine that moves the feed up to the cows periodically. It resembled a large Roomba and went down the aisles pushing feed toward the stalls. This dairy also has numerous awards for their cattle and genetics.

Day Six We went to another commercial dairy. This one was less advanced than the one from the day before. However, they did have automatic calf feeders, which I found interesting. The milk from this dairy is used to make cheese, so they aren’t allowed to use fermented forages because those make the cheese unstable. This farm is using hormones to try to synchronize their cows so that their pregnancy rates will increase. Next, we went to a processing plant for Parma Ham. Parma Ham is made from the back legs of the pig, and that is all this plant produces. The ham is aged at least one year, but usually two. After a year, there is an inspection. They use a bone from the back leg of a horse to poke the meat in five specific places and smell it each time. This producer makes 50 thousand hams per year, and we got to try a few of their different products. After the ham producer, we learned about how to make balsamic vinegar. We tasted ones aged 6 years, 12 years, and 25 years. The 6 year one we also tried on vanilla ice cream. It was actually really good. I learned that the wood used to make the barrels the vinegar is stored in affect the taste and appearance of the vinegar. For example, cherry gives it a sweet flavor while chestnut gives it a dark color. Day Seven We went to Eatily World, which is the world’s largest agrifood park. It was kind of like a large grocery store or mall with rides to teach you about how the food is produced. We spent the morning here then went to Bologna. We didn’t have a tour in Bologna, so we went on our own in small groups around the city. My group went to see the Jewish Ghetto and a couple of towers. One of the towers is the highest point in the city. We also saw many monuments including a very detailed fountain. After this, we went to Florence for dinner and saw the city’s cathedral on the way back to the hotel.

Day Eight We went on a guided scavenger hunt through Florence and learned about the importance and history of the different buildings and sites. I learned that it took 140 years to build the Florence Cathedral and that banking was invented in Tuscany. There was a large plaza filled with sculptures of what looked like fighting scenes. We also went into a courtyard with fresco paintings on all the walls and ceiling. While on the scavenger hunt, we saw The Florence Experiment, which is studying how human emotions can affect the growth of a plant. One of the things they do is have you slide down a slide while holding a plant, and then they study the effect on the plant. After the scavenger hunt, we got to explore on our own. I walked with some friends to the river and went onto one of the bridges to take photos. Then we went back to the hotel for an hour before going back out to tour the city more.

Day Nine We went to Venice by train. In Venice, we went to Murano, the island of glass. There, we watched a demonstration on glass blowing and glass sculpting. A man made a vase and a horse statue. The glass makers were originally moved to this island because Venice is built on wood, and they use fire to make glass. So, in order to protect Venice from burning down, they moved all the glass makers to another island. After Murano, we went to Burano, the island of lace. This island is also known for many colorful houses. It was very beautiful to see both the houses and the lace. After that, we went back to Venice for dinner. It was really neat to be in a city like Venice, where there are no cars and the only way to get around is by boat or on foot. Overall The culture in Italy is very similar to the United States, but with some differences. While Italian is the dominant language in Italy, I found that most people still understood English. Another difference is how much older the country is compared to the United States. Italy has buildings that date back to Roman times, and they showcase these and other historical monuments and buildings beside their new buildings. One tour guide stated that in Italy, they like having old and new side by side because they think it’s important to preserve and remember their history while still working toward the future. This trip served well to educate me about both agriculture in Italy and the culture of the country and its people. I got to experience how another country produces animals, mainly dairy, and how they regulate their food industry differently than in the United States. I am now able to compare what is better and worse about their agriculture versus ours, as well as things that are similar or equally beneficial but different. Having had this experience, I think I’ve learned more about myself and my culture as well. I am able to see where I can learn from other cultures and teach other cultures. This trip has shown me that the differences in our cultures are important because they challenge us to think about our own culture and how we can improve it. I am glad I participated in this study abroad and hope to have the opportunity to go on another one for a longer period of time while at Purdue.