The Family Farm
FondoAranci is a family farm located on the slopes of Mt. Etna. For four generations on this farm the Cutuli family has produced citrus fruits and many other varieties of fruits and products of the land.
The major productions of the farm are: IGP Lemons, Satsuma Mijagawa, Table Citrons, Clementines, Bergamot, Summer Oranges. Other small crops, such as avocado and pomegranates, from season to season, combine to represent the extraordinary vitality and dynamism of FondoAranci.
Although at the forefront in planting even non-traditional crops, has always been close to the hearts of all generations of the Cutuli’s continue producing in the style of the ancient tradition of the Etna farming community - always empathetic with the prodigious, however extreme, volcanic environment - which naturally acquired over the centuries, a manner absolutely organic of farming.
Today, FondoAranci is a Certified Organic Farm, as well as being a Consortium Farm with the Consorzio Ciliegio dell'Etna DOP and the Consorzio Limone dell'Etna IGP
Guided Tours
FondoAranci also offers guided tours within the company to discover the entire citrus cultivation chain, being able to detect every single stage of the entire development of a fruit plant, starting with the planting of the seeds of the grafting plant and until fruiting. Of great interest is the review relating to the seasonality of crops, dif erent for each variety, to the historical and modern irrigation systems, paying attention to the Arab era, which is the one in which citrus fruits were introduced in Sicily.
It will also be possible to observe the methods of pruning, plowing, prevention and disinfestation of any parasites with organic methods and everything related to production. During the visit, in addition to the farm crops, you will have the opportunity to see many other plants, including ornamental ones, belonging to the most diverse climatic zones of the planet and always cultivated on the farm for family use or for pure beauty, increased from generation to generation, which represent a magnificent expression of the astounding biodiversity that characterizes the lush eastern slope of the Etna volcano.
In the end, the walk will lead to the large farmyard, where, under the branches of a majestic mulberry tree, guests can be served a tasting of the farm fruits, fresh juices and, depending on the season, much more!
Visiting FondoAranci is not only a joy for our senses and discover the growing seasons immersed in lush nature, being able to collect juicy fruits from the trees with our own hands, but also a step back in time, finally looking at a healthy and clever future: if it is true, as he said the philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach, that "We are what we eat"!