.png)
The 1.5 million Italians who emigrated to Brazil between the last two decades of the 19th century and the 1930s saw it as a land of opportunity where they could make their fortunes and live in peace and prosperity. Many of those who crossed the Atlantic came from provinces in the Veneto region, such as Vicenza, Treviso, Belluno, Padua, and Rovigo. They came from the countryside in search of land and work, at a time of particular economic hardship in Italy. These men and women, for whom Brazil was synonymous with Merica (America), settled mainly in the south and southwest of the vast country: for example, in the states of Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul.
It is no coincidence that in the early 1900s São Paulo was a city where people spoke more Italian and dialects from northern Italian regions, than Portuguese. Even today, in Rio Grande do Sul and other areas of Brazil, people speak Talian, also known as Brazilian Venetian, which has recently become an official language in certain areas. Italian emigration, especially from Veneto, has shaped not only the culture, but also the geography of Brazil. There are cities such as Nova Pádua, Nova Bassano, and Nova Venécia, with the symbol of Venice – a lion of St. Mark – in its city coat of arms. An old song of the Venetian emigrants says:
E la Merica l’è lunga e l’è larga,
l’è circondata dai monti e dai piani,
e con la industria dei nostri italiani
abbiam formato paesi e città.
Among those who left Veneto in the early 1900s was the great-grandfather of the father of Pedro Pastore, a Brazilian agriculture influencer who, at just 15 years old, already has 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Every day, Pedro shares his daily life on the family farm in Antônio Prado, a village in Rio Grande do Sul that is a symbol of Italian emigration to Brazil, so much so that talian is spoken there. With his inseparable straw hat on his head, Pedro makes people of all ages - in Brazil and in other parts of the world - discover what farming is all about, with cheerfulness and enthusiasm.
Despite his young age Pedro has never forgotten his roots in Veneto and loves Italy and Italian agriculture. That's why, when he came across the xFarm Technologies booth at Agrishow, the largest agricultural exhibition in Brazil and Latin America, and discovered that the company has its technology headquarters in Milan, Italy, he immediately wanted to learn more about the company. And he soon fell in love with it. xFarm Technologies then invited him to Italy, to visit its headquarters in Milan and the Italy Agrishow, a major agricultural festival near Padua organized by Davide Gomiero, Italy's first agriculture influencer, and Dario Cabianca.
So at the end of July, Pedro and his parents flew across the Atlantic and landed in Italy. The first impression? Itália é top demais, Italy is too cool. During his visit to Italy Agrishow, Pedro met Davide Gomiero and had a lively conversation in a mix of talian and Venetian dialect. He then traveled to Venice to admire St. Mark's Square and walk through the calli, and toured the vineyards of the Valdobbiadene hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
He spent the following days exploring the countryside of the Veneto region, visiting several xFarm Technologies partner companies in the area: the livestock farm of Davide Gomiero and that of agriculture influencer Stefano Bellia, known on social media as "Maialino Rosa", the Crak Brewery- one of the best in Italy - and Smart Ag Services, an innovative contractor in the Padua area.
While in Campodarsego, Pedro visited the famous Antonio Carraro company . The Brazilian influencer is familiar with Carraro tractors as he has one on his farm in Brazil. Also in Campodarsego, he visited Maschio Gaspardo, a company that specializes in agricultural equipment.
And it was in the Padua area, in Casalserugo, that Pedro met the Italian branch of the Pastore family. Finding them was not easy, but a few tips from local elders, the help of xFarm Technologies and a little bit of luck made the historic family reunion possible. It was an emotional moment – celebrated with a glass of Prosecco, of course - that mended the bonds that history and the ocean had broken.
Riccardo De Nadai, xFarm Technologies Communications Manager, was there with Pedro and his parents. Originally from Castelfranco Veneto, he said of his experience with the Brazilians, "Accompanying Pedro and his family on this trip was an unforgettable experience that allowed me to see the region where I was born and raised in a different light. We often take the beauty around us for granted, but we must not forget that ours is a land rich in history that we must preserve, promote and export. Agriculture, as shown by the various outstanding examples we have encountered, is undoubtedly one of the most important assets of our region."
Many anecdotes and details about the Pastore family emerged during the visit. Starting with the origin of the family name, which means shepherd in Italian. In the past, shepherds would stop in the Casalserugo area when they took their flocks from Asiago to the plains for the winter, and some of them decided to settle in Casalserugo and start a family: and it was only a small change to go from pastore (shepherd) to Pastore. Farming is clearly part of the Pastore DNA, as the Pastore brothers own a winery in Casalserugo that produces Prosecco. Helping Pedro and his parents find the Pastore in Italy and visit their land of origin was an honor for xFarm Technologies, which not only connects farm equipment, but sometimes connects people as well.
On his way back to Milan, Pedro visited Giuliano Castagnari , aka "The Italian Farmer," a popular YouTuber and rice producer from the Mantua area, and Amanda Gruberio, an Italian-Brazilian farmer who, along with her family runs the Gruberio farm, which specializes in processing for viticulture in Verona. To conclude the tour, Pedro stopped at the xFarm Technologies headquarters in Milan, where he got an up-close look at the innovation that xFarm brings to farmers around the world, including those in Brazil. "I will take the xFarm smart insect traps and soil moisture sensors back to Brazil," he said before leaving Milan.
.svg)
