Sustainable Farm Tour & Northern Italian Cooking Class in Asti

Start with herbs, end with pasta. This private four-hour experience near Asti takes you into Vivi’s hillside home and sustainable farm, where you gather ingredients, learn family recipes, and sit down to eat what you helped prepare. I especially like the hands-on foraging and the chance to see how a working home farm supports its soil, animals, gardens, and fruit trees. I also like that the class suits both new and experienced cooks.

The main consideration is location. You must reach Agriturismo Serra dei Costa in Priocca on your own, and there is no hotel pickup or drop-off. The home has no air conditioning, which may matter on a hot summer day. Still, for anyone who wants an intimate, private experience rather than a polished demonstration for a large group, this offers a rare look at everyday Piedmontese food culture.

Key points at a glance

• Forage before you cook: Walk through Vivi’s gardens and farm to collect wild herbs, vegetables, and other ingredients for the meal.
• Meet the farm animals: The property includes chickens and friendly, talkative geese, along with vegetable beds and fruit trees.
• Learn family-style recipes: Depending on the class, you may prepare homemade pasta alla chitarra, gnocchi, soup, salads, bread, tiramisu, and vegetable dishes.
• Study wild plants: Vivi explains how to identify herbs with your senses, then discusses their traditional uses and properties.
• Enjoy a private setting: Only your group takes part, making this more personal than a standard group cooking class.
• Allow extra time: The scheduled visit lasts about four hours, though a relaxed meal and conversation can extend the experience.

Arriving at Vivi’s farm near Priocca

The meeting point is Agriturismo Serra dei Costa, at Strada Serra dei Costa, 2/A, in Priocca, in the province of Cuneo. This is a rural setting in Piedmont, surrounded by vineyards, farms, and the hills of northern Italy.

You need to arrange your own way there. That is the biggest logistical issue, especially if you are staying in Asti or another town without a car. The experience does not include hotel transportation, so check the route and allow enough time before booking. Once you arrive, the activity ends back at the same meeting point.

The private format matters here. You are not being moved through a commercial kitchen with a dozen other people. Vivi welcomes only your group, which gives the visit a home-based feel and leaves room for questions, changing plans, and a slower pace.

The home itself is part of the experience. This is not a cooking studio designed for tourists. It is Vivi’s residence, kitchen, garden, and farm. That makes the visit feel more personal, but it also means you should expect an ordinary Italian home rather than hotel-style facilities. In particular, there is no air conditioning.

Walking the gardens and meeting the animals

The farm visit comes before the cooking. Vivi shows you her chickens, geese, vegetable gardens, wild plants, and fruit trees. Hazelnut and apricot trees are among the features mentioned, giving you a sense of how varied the property is.

The animals add charm without being the main event. You may meet friendly geese that make their presence known, along with the chickens that help make this a working farm rather than a decorative garden. If you enjoy seeing where food begins, this opening part gives the class a useful setting.

The gardens are important because the meal is built around what is available on the land. You are not simply handed a basket of preselected ingredients. You help collect them, then learn how Vivi decides what can be used.

This is also where the sustainable side becomes practical. Vivi explains how she enriches the soil through replanting and how she encourages a healthy ecosystem that supports growth. The value is not in hearing broad claims about sustainability. You see the ideas connected to actual planting, harvesting, and cooking.

For children, this farm walk can make the class more engaging than a long kitchen lesson. Adults who garden may also find it especially useful, since the discussion reaches beyond recipes and into soil care, plant growth, and the relationship between a healthy farm and a healthy meal.

Foraging wild herbs with all five senses

The foraging section is the most unusual part of the experience. Vivi takes you into the farm to find wild herbs and vegetables, explaining how to recognize them and how people have traditionally used them.

You learn to identify plants through sight, smell, touch, and other sensory clues. That makes the lesson more memorable than a simple list of plant names. It also gives you a safer, more useful way to understand wild foods, since correct identification matters.

The activity can be physical. You may be bending down or working on your hands and knees while picking herbs close to the soil. Wear practical clothes, including trousers and a T-shirt, rather than your best city outfit. Comfortable clothing will let you focus on the plants instead of worrying about dirt or scratches.

Vivi’s enthusiasm is a major part of the lesson. She is not only showing you ingredients for lunch. She is explaining why particular plants matter, how they have been used, and what they contribute to the local food tradition. The result feels like a short introduction to living from the land, not just a recipe class.

The class does not turn you into a foraging expert in four hours, and you should not treat the activity as permission to pick unknown plants on your own later. But you will come away with a better sense of how local knowledge helps people recognize useful herbs.

Cooking family recipes in a real home kitchen

After gathering ingredients, you move into Vivi’s kitchen. The class focuses on two or three dishes, with the exact menu shaped by the available ingredients and the recipes Vivi chooses to teach.

The sample menu includes homemade pasta alla chitarra or gnocchi, fresh vegetables, and wild herbs. Other dishes connected with the experience include vegetable soup, herb and egg salad, homemade bread, pasta with a light tomato sauce, and tiramisu.

That variety is useful because the lesson is not limited to one technical skill. You might work with dough, prepare vegetables, use herbs, and finish with dessert. A home cook can pick up ideas for a full meal, while a beginner can learn how simple ingredients become satisfying food.

Homemade pasta is likely to be the main attraction. Pasta alla chitarra has a distinctive shape made with a chitarra, while gnocchi offers a different lesson in texture and handling. The experience does not promise both on every visit, so you should think of these as possible dishes rather than a fixed menu.

The cooking is participatory. You help prepare the food rather than watching Vivi do everything. That makes the class more rewarding, but it also means you should expect a practical session with flour, vegetables, herbs, and kitchen tasks.

One appealing detail is how little the meal depends on store-bought ingredients. The farm supplies much of the produce, herbs, and eggs, while flour is one ingredient specifically noted as coming from elsewhere. That connection between garden and plate gives the lunch more meaning than a meal prepared from ingredients bought in advance.

Eating what you helped prepare

The meal is the payoff, but not just because you get to eat. You now understand where the herbs came from, how they were selected, and how they were used in the cooking.

Fresh vegetables and wild herbs are central to the menu. The food is described as natural and healthy, with the farm supplying much of the flavor. You may also have alcoholic beverages, which are included in the price.

The setting matters. You are eating in the same home where the ingredients were collected and prepared. That creates a direct connection between the farm walk, the cooking, and the final meal. It is a simple idea, but it is what makes this experience feel different from a restaurant meal or a standard cooking school.

Plan to stay open to conversation. The scheduled duration is about four hours, but a relaxed meal can stretch longer. One group spent roughly six to seven hours talking and eating because the visit developed at an easy pace. You should not assume every class will last that long, but the example shows that Vivi may allow the day to unfold naturally.

That flexibility will delight some people and frustrate others. If you have a tightly packed sightseeing schedule, the open-ended rhythm may cause stress. If you enjoy sitting at the table, discussing food, and getting to know your host, it is one of the experience’s strongest features.

What the $170 price includes

At $170 per person, this is not a cheap lunch or a basic pasta lesson. The price covers a private farm tour, foraging, cooking instruction with Vivi, the meal, alcoholic beverages, and gratuities.

The value depends on how you use the experience. If you only want to learn one pasta shape and leave quickly, the cost may feel high. If you want several hours with a local host, access to a private farm, a meal, plant instruction, and a personal look at sustainable practices, the price is easier to justify.

The private format improves the value for couples, families, or small groups with shared interests. You are paying for the group experience, not just a seat in a class. Only your party participates, which can make the instruction more responsive and the conversation more natural.

There are also costs outside the listed price. You must get to Priocca and return on your own. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. Factor in transportation before comparing this with a class in central Asti or another easily reached town.

Gratuities are included, so you do not need to budget an additional tip. Confirmation arrives within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the experience is private and availability may be limited, booking about two weeks ahead is sensible. It is booked on average 13 days in advance.

Who will enjoy this experience most

I would choose this for people who care about food origins, home cooking, gardening, and local customs. It is especially well suited to couples, families, and small groups who want time with a host rather than a formal class with a fixed script.

Beginners should feel comfortable. The experience is designed for novice and experienced cooks, and the work is divided among participants. Children can also take part, though parents should consider the outdoor foraging and kitchen activities when deciding if the pace suits them.

Gardeners will find the sustainable farming discussion rewarding. The details about replanting, soil enrichment, and a healthy ecosystem give the visit practical interest beyond the meal. Anyone curious about wild herbs will also get more from this than someone who simply wants a pasta dish.

This may not be ideal if you dislike rural homes, outdoor work, or an informal schedule. The property has no air conditioning, and the farm walk can involve bending down to gather plants. You should also be comfortable with a menu that may change according to the garden.

Service animals are allowed. The experience is offered in English, which makes the plant and cooking explanations easier to follow for English-speaking visitors.

Practical tips before you book

Wear trousers and a T-shirt or other casual clothing that can handle contact with soil. Comfortable shoes are sensible for walking around the farm, though specific footwear requirements are not provided.

Do not plan a major attraction immediately afterward. Four hours is the official estimate, but the meal and conversation can last longer. Give yourself breathing room, especially if you hope to enjoy the visit without watching the clock.

Think about the season and the heat. The home does not have air conditioning, so warm weather may make the kitchen less comfortable. The garden also changes over time, which means the exact herbs and vegetables available may vary.

If you have dietary restrictions, allergies, or strong food preferences, ask about them before booking. The provided details do not specify how special diets are handled, so you should not assume every request can be accommodated.

Cancellation is free if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded, and changes within that window are not accepted.

Should you book Vivi’s farm and cooking class?

Book it if you want a personal, hands-on day in the Piedmont countryside. The strongest reasons are the farm access, wild-herb lesson, private format, and the chance to eat food made from ingredients you helped collect.

Skip it if you need hotel transportation, air conditioning, a fixed timetable, or a guaranteed menu. The class is best approached as time spent with Vivi on her land, not as a quick cooking product.

For the right person, $170 buys more than pasta. It buys context: soil, plants, animals, family recipes, and a meal that connects all of them. Bring practical clothes, leave room in your schedule, and you will be ready for one of the more personal food experiences near Asti.

FAQ

Where does the experience begin?

It begins at Agriturismo Serra dei Costa, Strada Serra dei Costa, 2/A, 12040 Priocca CN, Italy.

Where does the experience end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point in Priocca.

How long does the experience last?

The scheduled duration is approximately four hours. The visit may run longer if the meal and conversation continue at a relaxed pace.

Is transportation from my hotel included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you must arrange transportation to and from the meeting point.

Is the experience private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the farm tour and cooking class.

What food might I learn to prepare?

Possible dishes include homemade pasta alla chitarra, gnocchi, fresh vegetables, wild-herb dishes, vegetable soup, herb and egg salad, homemade bread, pasta with tomato sauce, and tiramisu. The exact menu may vary.

Are drinks included?

Alcoholic beverages are included in the experience.

Can children or beginners participate?

Yes. The class is suitable for adults or children and for both novice and experienced cooks.

Is the home air-conditioned?

No. The residence does not have air conditioning.

Are service animals allowed?

Yes. Service animals are allowed.

How far in advance should I book?

The experience is booked about 13 days in advance on average. Confirmation is received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded.