We are Orto Dirillo:
the future of Sicilian agriculture,
rooted in tradition and
projected towards excellence.

Valentino e Gianni

Free Growers
of Sicily

We are a young company but with ancient roots in the traditional Sicilian agricultural art.

Planting the seeds of our future were Valentino Lo Monaco and Gianni Iachella, united by a strong friendship and faith in caring for the land and continuous innovation, with the desire to share with consumers the authentic flavour of Sicilian horticultural products and the rituals of the island’s farming families.

Our growth is based on patient, daily manual labour and on investments in structures, technologies and machinery capable of improving our performance, our production efficiency and the quality of our products.

We aim to be the benchmark for sustainable cultivation and virtuous distribution of high quality fresh vegetables.

Products

In the Vittoria plain, between the Ippari and Dirillo rivers (which we wanted to recall in our name), the land has been shaped by the hard work and passion of those who work on it, becoming a place where the summer sun beats down hard and shade can only be found under the centuries-old carob trees. From these fields come the best Sicilian first fruits that reach the supermarket counters and tables throughout Italy and Europe.

Our production chain

Young but experienced: we also stand out thanks to our integrated and sustainable production system, which enhances every stage of the supply chain. Our processing method is a balanced mix of traditional manual skill and technological precision, so that each work phase meets the highest standards of analysis, control, safety and healthiness, in line with our philosophy: improving the quality of our products, improving the work phases, to make our company more and more sustainable and deliver to our customers the best of the land of Sicily.

ground care

We have always known our land, but every year we subject our soils to precise checks in order to prevent possible diseases of our plants. For tomatoes and vegetables not grown in greenhouses, we assess the most suitable crops, depending on the season and the type of soil, and prepare the seed bed.

CULTIVATION

Depending on the type of reference, a series of measures are taken to obtain authentically Sicilian vegetables, using natural and least invasive defence techniques.

HARVEST AND DELIVERY

Every day, our partner companies bring fresh produce to our warehouses. Processing management is centralised both to share cultivation methods and to guarantee our customers a single, high standard of quality, control and analysis in the year-round supply of 100% Sicilian vegetables.

PROCESSING

The harvested product is promptly processed in the warehouse and carefully checked, also with the support of technological viewers. We have state-of-the-art equipment, such as cells equipped with an ozone system, which, thanks to its antibacterial action and antioxidant properties, plays a key role in product freshness and a prolonged shelf-life.

PACKAGING AND SHIPPING

From harvest to delivery, our products respect the cold chain to maintain their wholesomeness. And we have built an effective traceability system to ensure the application of transparent rules and offer the consumer an easy reconstruction of the history of the products.

We package tomatoes and vegetables in dedicated packaging and on request (IFCO, CPR, EPS, etc.). We can use either a bag or a cardboard tray sealed with food-grade film, according to the flow pack technique.

We are able to offer different types of packaging and sizes:

• packs of 10 500 g trays
• packs of 9 250 g trays
• packs of 18 250 g trays
• boxes of 5 to 7 kg of product
• boxes of 3 to 4 kg of product

We maintain the healthiness of our products thanks to the ozone plant-capable of eliminating a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and moulds-used to sanitise and extend the shelf-life of products during storage and transport.

We ensure that all our transport takes place in a controlled atmosphere so as not to create moisture inside and on time delivery.

Our commercial flexibility

Regeneration
and Sustainability

As a form of care and custody, we have carried out redevelopment work in a large area of the Victorian territory, near our warehouse, recovering dozens of centuries-old olive trees. We did this in order to give substance and meaning to our agricultural philosophy, in the name of sustainability, integration with nature and safeguarding biodiversity, an essential element for modern agriculture.

Energy Efficiency
and Well-being at Work

A photovoltaic system with solar panels was installed on the roof of the warehouse, capable of generating 75,000 KWh per year. Thanks to this improvement, the warehouse was equipped with air conditioners to ensure optimal working conditions for our employees, maintaining an ideal temperature in all seasons.

Optimization
of Water Resources
for Sustainable Agriculture

We are particularly sensitive to energy issues. Environmental responsibility, at the root of our idea of sustainable agriculture, has led us to optimise available water resources by recovering rainwater, adopting more precise and targeted irrigation strategies and technological tools, thus avoiding waste and losses.

Quality and Certifications

Our vision of sustainability

From the very beginning, we have directed the basis of our production according to the principles and concreteness of sustainable agriculture, i.e. an idea of cultivation that does not only consider production but is also concerned with doing so in a way that is profitable for the farmer; in a way that is transparent for consumers; in a way that respects the local environment and, in general, that of the planet; and in a way that is socially aimed at improving the quality of life of the community and the territory.

We are aware that we are not masters of the land but custodians of it: it is up to us to take care of it, to work it respecting the rules and times and, above all, with the adoption of virtuous behaviour. Worthy of a thriving and responsible business. The use of appropriate farming methods, the commitment to constant control of the supply chain, the principle of traceability of references, the idea of sustainability and respect for the environment and workers, the phases of control and analysis on the wholesomeness of the product and the cold chain.

Developed in the early 2000s, it is a management standard focused on the quality and hygiene safety of food suppliers to large-scale retailers. It is used to assess a food company’s ability to produce safe, authentic and quality products, while also meeting consumers’ growing demands for transparency and traceability.

Required by European retailers, it is a standard that defines the correct identification and full traceability of products during the production stages, as well as the health, safety and welfare of workers. It enables companies to meet the requirements of retailers in terms of quality, food safety and environmental practices.

G.R.A.S.P. is the abbreviation for ‘GLOBAL G.A.P. Risk Assessment on Social Practices’: it is an additional module of the GLOBAL G.A.P. Standard focused on the assessment of social aspects related to the activities of workers in agriculture, used in practice to assess the risk of bad social practices in the sector.

Free Growers of Sicily