Real Agritourism in Italy

We stayed at LocanaRosati in Orvieto 3 years ago. The hosts, the food, and the location were terrific. It is 7 miles off of A1 about an hour north of Rome. From there it is an easy drive to many tourist towns. We were there when they were harvesting grapes in Oct. They also farm olives and berries and raise chickens. Visiting in Jan, I don't know what you will see, since it is the off season. Have fun!

You're sure right that most agriturismos these days are little more than villas with swimming pools. That said, it might be helpful to know what you were hoping to experience at a farm during January. (Not intended as a snide remark, btw, but a genuine question.) I even wonder if many of the true agriturismos even allow guests during the winter.

We stayed in Le Caggiole, just outside of Montepulciano in May. They are a farm in the sense that Giacomo tends vines and makes wine, the make their own honey (this bees are busy just behind the house) and they have stunning views of vineyards and farmland around the house. It was a great stay, and the little Italian grandmother is a great cook (excellent breakfast every morning) and is pretty central to many of the Tuscan hill towns.
Walking the vineyards with Giacomo was a highlight for me.

Jason, Without any intention on passing as arrogant or anything, let me give some input. I'm half-Italian and have lived a number of years there, by the way. I'm writing also to reference this post for similar questions in the future on RS Helpline. Farms, as of 2011, are professional business like any other enterprise in the city or countryside. Farming has changed a lot in Italy, with a 40-years delay in relate to North America and Australia, but things got better. A "working farm", one whose owners actually depend on income from agriculture to keep the business afloat and provide for their families, are serious affairs. They require technology, some knowledge of finance and will rely on at least some well trained staff. Make no mistake: traditional wineries or cheese makers also have state-of-the-art stuff in their in-house labs to control quality, they use GPS-based, 100 sq. mt plot-based soil management and the likes. At least, so do those with a long-term shot in the business. In this context, there is simply no place to have a bunch of guests wandering around the farm and demanding hospitality services year-round. Virtually <b>any</b> farm that is "working" and take guests as an agriturismo is not "purely" a working place and will only pursue the hospitality business if it can increase their revenues and so. If the place is particularly scenic, it probably pays off to ditch the farming activity and concentrate on hospitality, or "scenic farming", like low-scale, money-losing activities that draws tourists as a side attraction for the lodging. So, no, a serious working farm can't take guests. Anyway, Jan-Feb are the most quiet months due to winter.

Look into Italyfarmstay.com. There are also tons of reviews on the RS site and others. Although I do not have any first hand knowledge of the place itself, I am very familiar with the area as my parents have an old family home very nearby. It is not in a tourist area at all.It is on the Lazio/Abruzzo border and there is a lot to offer in the area. There are many beautiful mountain towns and villages, the mountains are spectacular. What specifically are you and your family interested in. I think at this place, you will be able to participate in cheese making and other farm type activities.
Good luck. Let us know where you end up.

Jason, Try La Crociona http://www.lacrociona.com/
It is a vineyard and the main product is wine. An agriturismo must have at least half of its revenue from agriculture. The Italian government, in order to make more accomodations available, offered a tax break to farms that made accomodations available. Many farms took advantage of this and converted old worker quarters, hay lofts and stables to guest accomodations. The quality can vary greatly.

Henry may be correct in what the law requires, but pretty much any google search for "agriturismo" will turn up scores of resort villas with swimming pools and no apparent farms. Check out this site: http://www.agriturismo.net/

Michael, See the first line of the site you referenced:
"Tuscany Italy vacation in Agriturismo, Farmhouses, Farm Holiday, Villas, Hotel, Bed and Breakfast" See how many actually are an agriturismo.