Luca Grasselli, a bit of a farmer and a bit of a cook at Cascina Lago Scuro
Tell us about your path and about what brought you to Pollenzo for the Master in Food Culture, Communication and Marketing:
After high school, I graduated in Philosophy in Milan. I wrote a thesis on human relations in modern and contemporary society by studying the two great sociologists, De Certeau and Goffman. Their study opened me to a more "social" and human relations perspective than "pure" philosophy.
On the other hand, there was already the 'Cascina' where I lived with my parents. I wanted to find something that would combine the theoretical and philosophical part with the practical aspect of working in the countryside. I needed to conclude my studies with something that united these two souls, my practical and theoretical sides.
At the Salone del Gusto-Terra Madre, I met Paolo Ferrarini, who around 2010 was in charge of the Masters at Unisg. It was love at first sight; he explained to me what it could be like to do such a peculiar Master, and it was also thanks to him that I signed up.
The Master, then, was a beautiful synthesis of my two "souls".
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What values did Pollenzo teach you that you now bring into your family business?
I brought with me from Pollenzo the value of the other, of other people, of the "foreigner". Unisg is a multicultural centre, and if you don't have an open mind, you struggle to interact with others. At my Master in Food Culture, Communication and Marketing, I was the only Italian in the course, but I tried to make a virtue of necessity by interacting with all students of all ages.
Now I can say that I have friends almost all over the world and it's great! I specifically remember Doug, 60, from Minnesota, a point of reference in the months of classes!
In this sense, the community's value is what prompted me to re-create a sort of seaport in an old farmhouse of the '600 (Cascina Lago Scuro), an undertow where every person who passes by can bring their values. Human relationships are a continuous exchange of ideas, sometimes even clashes; why not! But we always come out enriched!
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What are the strengths of Cascina Lago Scuro?
The strengths of Cascina Lago Scuro are its multifunctionality, its imperfection and its potential.
Multifunctionality: Cascina Lago Scuro was born as a multifunctional organic company; we have based its structure on several levels. There is the vegetable garden, the dairy, the hens, the pasture, the kitchen, the canning workshop, the school, the shop in Cremona, the farmers' markets. In this way, we try to be more resilient to external shocks, and each little part helps the others. The challenge is to try to keep all these branches together.
Imperfection: Human evolution has always been characterized by inherent imperfection. It is precisely the imperfection that allows us, humans, to evolve and develop into new forms! Even in the farmhouse, the guests who come or the people who work there must be able to appreciate its imperfection because it is what allows it to transform itself continuously.
Finally, its potential: Two hundred years ago, Cascina Lago Scuro was a village with about seventy families, there was the church, the school, the blacksmith's house, the carpenter's, the farrier's etc ... It was a small world. It is now clearly no longer so for various reasons, but its potential is to return to being a centre of society, culture, the history of food, and humanity. Any activity can start in the fertile ground that is Cascina Lago Scuro.
