Marco Bozzolo, 35, studied in Houston and earned a master’s degree in environmental economics from the University of Siena. But he chose to return to Viola, in the province of Cuneo, a village known for its chestnuts, to start a farm in the small valley where the “queen of the woods” has long been a local tradition and is now protected under a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI).

A resilient figure in an area struggling with depopulation, Marco has become an ambassador for the mountains, combining modern technical expertise with a desire to revive a treasure passed down through generations — while preserving “respect for traditional knowledge and the environment.”

He has built a business encompassing the entire chestnut supply chain: managing the forest, harvesting the nuts, sorting and processing them, and marketing the finished products. He sells them online, too, because tradition and innovation go hand in hand. The same approach extends to educational and virtual tours of the groves.

“My father, Ettore, passed on his passion and expertise to me,” Marco says. Ettore is a representative of Slow Food’s Food Communities.

“Protecting the land,” Marco writes, “means passing it on to future generations with the same characteristics it had when we took responsibility for it. We have stories of hard work, but also of countless small satisfactions. For a farmer who loves the land where he was born, sharing the beauty and flavors of its traditions with guests who come from every corner of the world brings a unique sense of fulfillment.”

Visitors have come to Marco’s educational chestnut groves from England, the United States, Germany and India. He tells them about the oldest tree, known as the “Patriarch,” his new products, and the “Acoustic Chestnut Grove,” an arts and culture festival held amid the trees. He also shows them the trees available for adoption.