The Tractor Cooperative was founded in 1980. What happens there is social work—genuine, hands-on social work. It grew out of a meeting of friends: graduates in agricultural science, conscientious objectors, people active in their neighborhood. From the start, the members have carried two passions: natural farming and welcoming people with disabilities.
We arrived on a bright November morning in the beautiful Casaletto valley, walking past fields of vegetables freshly transplanted. Following rows of plants that seemed to hum with order and life, we reached a small prefab building. The cooperative's coordinator was waiting for us.
«Life isn't easy here, despite how beautiful it is,» he said right away. «Regional laws are restrictive. Our land lease with the municipality is always precarious. Most people don't understand what we're really trying to do. And this society runs on competition—which doesn't sit well with anyone who puts quality and welcome first.»
Life is hard. Yet sixteen worker-members carry on, seven of them people with disabilities, hired on proper contracts because the work suits their abilities and needs.
Beyond that, the cooperative takes on five more people—interns with difficulties—who come for varying hours, initially with support staff from the local health authority. The health authority holds legal responsibility for them, but the cooperative pays each one wages proportional to the work actually done. These placements shift often and last only so long, but the idea is simple: give everyone real work, because real work does people good. Everyone matters.
Beyond farming, the Cooperative maintains private and public gardens—work that fills the seasonal gaps and keeps finances steady.
Vegetables grown here are sold locally, to neighbors. The cooperative also trades with other farming collectives and organic shops.
Healthy Food at the Tractor
Organic farming. It's more than a different way to grow things—more than just avoiding the usual chemical and technical systems. It's a whole way of life. The Tractor practices only natural methods, no additives, no pollutants. That takes constant research, constant experimentation with new ecological techniques.
Ten years of commitment to growing food that's whole and nutritionally sound, while keeping the soil alive and fertile. And hand in hand with that: giving people with disabilities a real path back into work and community. Many of them are now full members of the cooperative, working alongside everyone else as equals.
The place itself leaves you with a clear impression. It's beautiful: authentic work with the earth, productive, in open air surrounded by calm. The people are warm—smiles, seriousness, real openness. The red tape is crushing, honestly. Almost unbearable. And yet what you want to shout is: «Rome needs thirty more places like this!»
If you have land. If you know how to farm it. If you have the courage to push the bureaucracy. If you love the earth. If you care about people struggling—go. See it. Then do something about it.
- Nicole Schulthes, 1994