Our Mission

We have always held self-sufficiency in high esteem. Our family comes from the Roman countryside in Italy-- South of Rome, North of Naples. Our roots stem from agrarian life, and throughout our youth, we passed summers in Italy. During that time we were exposed to the simplicity, yet fullness, of life outside of the city. The air was clean, the food was fresh and nutritious, and the sense of community was very high. Everybody knew everybody, and it made people feel safe.

My father, Achille, was born and raised right on the outskirts of a city called Sora. His family had a small farm there, but their main line of work concerned cattle. They bought, raised, sold, and butchered cows, but they also had a lush garden. However, we actually learned how to garden from my mother's father, Ubaldo. His wife, our grandmother, Teresa, was 1 of 11 children, and they worked in agriculture as well. Needless to say, this is in our blood.

We started Nonni's Farms in our Nonni's* backyard in the spring of 2019. We gestated on the idea long before, but knew the time was right. Compared to now, life was perhaps a bit more calm then, as in, there weren't threats of a pandemic shutting down the economy. Our mantra has always been to be prepared. "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail." We believe in this strongly.

The coronavirus epidemic that pulled the rug out from western economies was a wake up call for many. We saw the fragility of food supply chains exposed, which vindicates the mission we are undertaking:

To increase food security and provide fresh, local, nutritious fruits and vegetables to our neighbors.

So here we are with Nonni's Farms, one of the very first operational urban farms in Downriver, Michigan. We hope to see and hear from you soon!

* Nonni means grandparents in Italian.