Bonjourno!

This is Grace Kubista the one and only civil engineering student on the trip. We have had a busy trip and today was no exception. We began the day by jumping on a train from Florence to Bologna. We then jumped on a bus and drove to Modena where we were greeted by some smiling faces at Hombre Farm.

Hombre Farm is an organic dairy farm which produces the Modena’s famous Parmigiano-Reggiano. We got to visit the cows, look at the milking facilities, and we got a tour of how the cheese is made. Then we went to the cheese vault. In this room, there were thousands of cheese wheels worth millions of dollars. The farm creates 14 wheels of cheese a day which actually classifies the company as a small production. After they are created, the wheels must age for a year before they are inspected. If a committee approves of the firmness of the cheese, then the wheels are aged for an additional 1-2 years. If and only if the cheese passes all these tests, then it is officially Parmigiano-Reggiano. While the tour and cows were great, we were all eager to get to the taste test portion of the day. We got to sample the famous cheese, and it did not disappoint. As a result, we bought a lot of cheese; let’s hope customs won’t confiscate it!

 

After the cheese portion of the day, we toured the tractor and car collection. The collection featured Maserati cars, Ferrari, old motorcycles, and a Lamborghini tractor. That’s right, Lamborghini initially made tractors!

Next, we went to Acetaia Malpighi to taste the famous Modena Balsamic Vinegar. We got to learn about the process of making the vinegar while tasting five different kinds. In order to create the amazing substances, they harvest the grapes in October then boil it for about three weeks. This allows the producers to get the mosto cotto or syrup like layer which will be aged in open barrels. These barrels are each made of a different wood which will alter the flavor of the vinegar. We also learned that the only way a balsamic vinegar can be labeled as traditional is if it is aged for a minimum of 12 years, and if you want a super old vinegar then you will have to wait 25 years for it to reach the appropriate acidity and taste. 30 families from around Modena produce traditional Balsamic Vinegar, and it is all done locally which means the grapes, the aging, and bottling all happens in Modena, Italy.

After refueling at the Roadhouse restaurant, we went to our final tour at the Ducati factory. We got to tour the production lines and see the assembly of the various engines and bikes. We were not allowed to take photos because they had a new bike being built and tested for the first time, and they really wanted to keep any racing and future bike plans under wraps. While they only have 1,200 employees currently, their busy season will start in the next week or so which means they will hire more workers to prepare bikes for the spring and summer. The process is mostly done by hand, and they test throughout assembly to ensure everything is done right. They have a human error rate of 0.6% which is very impressive. We also got to look at their museum which showcases over 90 years of bikes and Ducati history. An interesting fact is that the company started as a manufacturer of radio components. It wasn’t until they were bombed in World War II and forced to rebuild that they shifted to motorbikes.

Overall, today we got to explore the industrial belt of Italy. We saw three different manufacturing processes each was unique, but each ensured quality and authenticity. The cheese and vinegar both qualify as DOC or Designated Origin Control which ensures that all the ingredients and production steps are done in the region. It also means that the product follows the right steps to ensure that it is authentic. While Ducati is a faster and more automated production, they still put a lot of effort into making the handcrafted Italian bikes.

 

With the conclusion of our tours, we returned to the train station and got aboard the train to Milan. It was our last train ride, but our first time having an efficient and organized system for luggage.