Did you know that pears are produced in the Bassa Friulana, particularly in the Latisanese area? And over time, apple production has also been added. But if this has been possible it is thanks to Jeremiah family, which after numerous studies on its land, was far-sighted and first undertook these crops, followed by many others. "We really believed it." And in doing so they managed to transform this territory into a small oasis of fruit, harvested and hand-processed one by one directly from them.

The pears

It all started with David Jeremiah, son of Antonio. Family of sharecroppers for generations, in their lands they had always grown vegetables such as asparagus, potatoes, radicchio, mostly on behalf of third parties. But pears and apples never: in Latisana they had practically never seen each other. Until in the nineties Davide's brilliant intuition: to carry out soil analyzes to understand which could be the most suitable type of cultivation, the one that would allow to use even less pesticides. And so the verdict: the Latin, that is the area that goes from Latisana to the coast of Lignano, turns out to be suited to fruit growing, in particular pears, having the right acidity that these fruits need. In 1991 the Geremia family planted their first pear trees on 10 hectares: Abbot, Conference, William Bianco and Rosso, to which over time other varieties such as Carmen (perfect for juice!) e Saint Mary. And just think that they have invested everything in a fruit like the pear, which has never had and continues to not have the same success as the apple, if not abroad, where the Italian one in particular is slightly more sought after. After collecting them in the coming period from July to September, are washed, selected and checked one by one manually; then most of it is sent in a few hours to a Cooperative in Emilia Romagna (the largest producer of these fruits in Italy) which deals with marketing. Only a small percentage, in particular of the smaller pears, considered less interesting on the market, are handcrafted in their laboratory, where they produce jams is 100% pear juices, without sugar or chemical additives. Absolutely recommended tasting in their delightful little shop!

Apples

Over the years the company has passed into the hands of the children: Marco, aerospace engineer, Michela, today the backbone, and your husband Andrea Businaro. She was employed for years, then she decided to continue the family business also in the hope of spending more time with her children Antonio is Ines. "In the end, of course, I work more, but at least I stay at home with them, who live and breathe the air of the company". In 2008, with the idea of ​​diversifying production, they decided to do a second analysis of the soil, which this time is also suitable for apples. In a short time their plots are filled with Golden, Pink, Fuji and especially Modì which, as Michela explains, "is an underrated apple, very juicy and fibrous, ideal for both table and cake, but never properly advertised". The success is incredible: other companies in the area begin to follow in their footsteps and the Latisanese is increasingly identified with the production of these fruits. But remember that this would not have been possible if it had not been for this family, which in the years in which the market, especially fruit, looked abroad, have staked everything and not without difficulty, on a 100% Italian product. . Again, after the harvest takes place from July to December depending on climate and variety, they send most of the apples to Emilia Romagna, alongside a small production of juices and jams and since 2012 also of dried apples directly from them. Alternatively, if you want to try them fresh, just a stone's throw from the company, there is Alessandro Businaro, brother of Andrea, chef of one of the best restaurants in the region: From Boschet, where in addition to his various specialties based on strictly local fresh fish (certainly not lacking in the area!), he also prepares dishes with the fruits grown by his brother, especially in the small pastry shop. But only when available, because the whole family agrees on this: "We must learn to follow seasonality and availability, to eat the fruits when they are there and to do without them when it is not the season". Yet, those who work in the countryside know this well: there is little that can really be foreseen, as what happened last year teaches us.

The Asian marble bug

Much has been said about the olive fly, while much less has been said about the bug that attacked and destroyed the production of apples and pears. It is a parasite of Asian origin, the marble, which has deformed the fruits, causing necrosis inside them and thus making it impossible to consume them. This tragedy has also affected other areas of Italy, but the Friuli was by far the most affected region: just think that last year for the Geremia family, the loss was almost total, almost 100%, on an annual production of about 2500-3000 quintals. This year the problem has only been partially solved: still many pears and apples have been affected by the marble and studies continue to try to understand how to definitively resolve the issue. "But let's go ahead, because we believe very much in what we do". In fact they continue to use a integrated pest management system, that is, to eradicate other harmful insects in their orchards with a targeted settlement of their natural enemies, thus minimizing the use of chemicals. Because the Geremia family are a team, they are one of those beautiful families to know, who dedicate their entire life to doing something good, both at the table and for the land, and for which we must thank.