The many villas of Tuscany were the centers of large estates and farms.  The noble families of Florence and other cities acquired property and the bounty of these farms not only fed the owners but also the families that worked the land.

Traditionally, at Canneto, there was a dairy farm, as well as sheep and cattle (for work and food), but today, other than a few chickens and pigs, we have no livestock.  It was also tradition to grow feed grass in the fields between the olive trees, a tradition still carried on today on our neighbors' property.  We continue another great tradition of maintaining many small vegetable gardens worked by our neighbors, friends and the family on various parts of the property.

In the past, a number of fruit trees were kept on the grounds.  Because of this, today, we have bountiful crops of pears, apricots, plums, and figs, as well as lesser amounts of cherries, peaches and blackberries.  When in season you will find this fruit at the breakfast table along with our own jams and preserves which we enjoy producing.