"When the nature calls you need to run"

This has been the phrase I heard the most in these days. For a long time I have tried to plan my trip to Italy to be there during the harvest and to take part in this amazing event of pure life.

Unfortunately none can plan this trip before time,  because it's the nature to call and to decide when the magic moment will come. So this year the phone call came on a sunday afternoon, quite late in the days (normally is around the 13th of june) and everything was planned for the 24th of june. I needed to comeback in London on the 20th so I messed the event but here are the pictures from the Grain Harvest 2011 taken by Mafaldina Dei Campi.

Like a miracle, every year around these days in the De Vita Mills (FG) the grain complete its growth and reach its best, and this year even more with an extraordinary composition: an higher protein percentage, higher gluten percentage, a lower humidity, and a fantastic look and color. Everyone was really impressed and the farmers and the "De Vita" mill's owners too.

The images of these never ending yellow fields and the mountains of grain in the mill just speak for them self. 

After the harvest, the wheat is stored, controlled, carefully cleaned and placed in steel silos  then, once cooled, transferred to the cement silos that will keep the temperature stable up to the time of milling. In late August will begin the production of flour, that will be then used to create the Pasta di Gragnano "Pastificio dei Campi".

This is then the first step of the process that will bring an high quality PGI pasta on your plate. All is transparent, all is reported and all is traceable. That's quality food!