Monferrato Green Farm in Casale: guide to the greenery and agriculture fair

At the beginning of October Casale Monferrato becomes a meeting point between countryside and city. Nurseries, agricultural machinery, producers, artisans, animals, laboratories and gastronomic specialties arrive at the Riccardo Coppo Exhibition Center for Monferrato Green Farm, a national fair dedicated to greenery and agriculture that talks about the territory starting from what makes it recognisable: the land, agricultural work, biodiversity and the daily relationship with the landscape.

It is an event suitable both for those who work in the sector and for those who want to spend a different day, perhaps with children, discovering plants, equipment, an educational farm and local flavours. The visit can easily become the starting point for a weekend in the Monferrato: a few hours at the fair, a walk in the historic center of Casale and, the following day, a panoramic road or a walking route among vineyards, woods and small villages.

Monferrato Green Farm takes place every year on the first weekend of October, generally from Friday to Sunday. The location is particularly pleasant for visiting Monferrato: summer is now behind us, temperatures become more suitable for walking and the hills begin to take on autumn colours.

The precise dates, times, programme, activities and entry methods may vary from one edition to another. It is therefore advisable to consult the official website before departure, especially if you want to participate in workshops, demonstrations, activities for children or meetings with limited places.

The event is held at the Riccardo Coppo Exhibition Center of Casale Monferrato, in Via Martiri di Nassiriya. The main pavilion offers almost nine thousand square meters of covered space and allows the fair to take place even in rainy or unstable weather, a useful feature on a weekend in early October.

The property is easily accessible by car and has parking areas. From the exhibition center the historic center of Casale can be reached in a few minutes, so it is easy to combine the visit with the Monferrato Castle, Piazza Mazzini, the Cathedral and the streets of the centre.

Monferrato Green Farm began as a fair dedicated to greenery and agriculture, bringing together sectors often presented separately: floriculture and nurseries, gardening, professional and hobby farming, livestock, food and wine, natural wellbeing, crafts, education and sustainability.

The formula is that of a market exhibition enriched by experiences. Alongside the commercial stands there are normally demonstrations, courses, workshops, conferences and activities designed to involve the public. This makes the visit more varied than a normal sector exhibition and allows you to spend several hours at the fair without following an obligatory route.

Agriculture, machines and innovation

One of the most recognizable areas is dedicated to agriculture and equipment. Tractors, soil tillage machines, systems for small-scale agriculture, pruning and irrigation equipment show the more technical side of the event. For those who work in the sector it is an opportunity to see solutions and exchange ideas with exhibitors; for those who come out of curiosity it is a concrete way to understand how much work and technology there is behind an agricultural landscape.

Monferrato is often told through vineyards, hills and villages, but that landscape exists because it is cultivated. Seeing tools, machines and techniques up close helps to read the territory with different eyes: the rows, fields and orchards are not simply scenography, but the result of an agricultural activity that continues to evolve.

The green component of the fair is dedicated to nurseries, ornamental, aromatic, vegetable and fruit plants, bulbs, seeds and ancient varieties. It is one of the most pleasant sections even for those who do not have a large garden: you can discover species suitable for balconies, small vegetable gardens and domestic spaces by asking the nurserymen directly for advice on exposure, soil and maintenance.

For enthusiasts it is interesting to observe the variety of proposals and compare different approaches to gardening. For those who visit Monferrato as a tourist, this part tells the story of the very strong connection between houses, courtyards, vegetable gardens and the rural landscape that characterizes many towns in the area.

Animals and educational farm

Monferrato Green Farm dedicates an important area to animals. The program may include farm and courtyard animals, exotic species, activities with ponies and horses, birds of prey and educational moments. The composition of the area changes from edition to edition, so it is always a good idea to consult the updated official programme.

For families, the educational farm is often one of the most engaging experiences. Children can get closer to the rural world through guided activities, animal observation and workshops designed to transform the visit into something more than a simple walk among the stands.

If you are traveling with children, plan for more time. Between animals, small laboratories, riding stables and play areas it is easy to stay longer than expected. The advantage of the covered pavilion is that the day remains manageable even if the weather changes, without having to completely give up the visit.

The Exhibition of Food Excellence

The food and wine part completes the story of the territory. The Salone delle Eccellenze Alimentari hosts Piedmontese products and specialties from other Italian regions, offering the opportunity to purchase, taste and get to know the producers directly.

For those arriving from outside it is a good starting point to understand what flavors to look for during the rest of the weekend. Cheeses, cured meats, baked goods, preserves, honey, wine, craft beer and other specialties allow you to compose a small gastronomic map to then follow in the Monferrato countries.

Monferrato Green Farm normally includes a catering area with Piedmontese dishes and proposals linked to regional cuisine. Among the specialties presented in recent editions are agnolotti monferrini, panissa, polenta concia, local wines and craft beers.

A presence particularly linked to local culture is the snack sinoira, the Piedmontese convivial meal that falls between snack and dinner. If it is proposed again in the program of the edition you will visit, it is a pleasant way to get closer to a tradition that speaks well of the rural character of the area.

A section of the fair is dedicated to well-being and natural personal care, with cosmetics, herbal products, supplements and proposals linked to natural raw materials. It is an area that broadens the concept of "green" beyond gardening and allows you to meet small artisan businesses and specialized producers.

The selection changes every year, so it's best to think of it as a space to explore without a rigid list of exhibitors. If you find an interesting product, always ask about its origin, ingredients and production method: direct contact with those who make it is one of the advantages of a fair of this type.

Among the areas developed in the most recent editions there is also the one dedicated to sustainable homes. Solutions for energy efficiency, materials, systems and technologies can find space alongside agricultural and environmental issues, creating a connection between rural sustainability and daily life.

It is an interesting sector especially for those who want to transform the visit into an opportunity to gather concrete information. Instead of limiting yourself to theory, you can speak directly with companies and technicians, comparing different approaches and collecting material to explore more calmly after the fair.

An important part of Monferrato Green Farm is the activity program. Conferences on agriculture and the environment, workshops for adults and children, craft demonstrations and educational events change every year and contribute to making the event more dynamic.

In recent editions, very different experiences have been proposed, from artisanal processing to fresh pasta, from dog training to the discovery of birds of prey, up to creative demonstrations and sensory activities. Checking the program before arriving allows you to choose the best time slots and avoid missing the appointments that interest you most.

You don't need to be an expert farmer or gardener to appreciate Monferrato Green Farm. The fair is also built for the general public and works well as a day of discovery, especially if you love nature, local products, animals or simply want to see a side of Monferrato other than wineries and festivals.

The advantage is variety. You can go from tractors to fruit trees, stop in front of a craftsman, have lunch with a Piedmontese dish and then accompany the children to the educational farm. Not everything will be of interest in the same way, but this very diversity makes it easy to construct a personal visit.

The Friday opening is suitable for those who live near Casale or come to spend the whole weekend in the Monferrato. The atmosphere is generally quieter than the central hours of Saturday and Sunday and allows you to begin to orient yourself between the exhibition areas.

Saturday is the ideal day for a complete visit. Arrive in the morning, dedicate the first hours to the stands and activities that interest you most, stop for lunch and leave the afternoon to the workshops or areas dedicated to families. In the evening you can move to the center of Casale for dinner or for a walk.

Sunday is perfect for those who want to combine the fair with a day out. You can start from the Exhibition Center, have lunch at the fair and dedicate the second part of the day to the historic center or reverse the order, visiting Casale in the morning and arriving at the Green Farm in the afternoon.

Monferrato Green Farm should not be the only stop of the day. Casale Monferrato deserves at least a few hours: the Castle, the Cathedral of Sant'Evasio, Piazza Mazzini, the Civic Tower, the Synagogue and the streets of the center allow you to build a very varied visit without long journeys.

If you're coming with kids, the compact center makes a short walk easy. If you love art and history, check the museum and synagogue opening hours and dedicate half a day to the city. The contrast between the modern pavilion of the fair and the historic fabric of Casale makes the weekend more complete.

Casale's location allows you to quickly go from the city to the hills. After the fair you can organize a second day towards Cella Monte, Rosignano Monferrato, Ozzano Monferrato or other villages in the Casale area, choosing a walk, a visit to the cellar or simply a panoramic itinerary.

At the beginning of October the landscape is particularly interesting. The harvest is still present in some areas, the vineyards are starting to change color and the temperatures make walking more pleasant. It is a suitable moment for a not too long journey followed by lunch or tasting in a hill town.

Casale is located in the heart of an area closely linked to the Viticultural Landscapes of Piedmont recognized by the UNESCO. The fair helps to read that landscape from the perspective of work: agriculture, nurseries, biodiversity, technologies and food production are the elements that continue to keep the territory alive.

Visiting Monferrato only to photograph the hills offers a partial view. Coming into contact with those who grow, produce and experiment makes what you see more understandable when you drive along a road through vineyards or cross a small village.

The event offers very different subjects: large agricultural machines, details of plants and flowers, food products, animals, hands at work and public scenes. The covered pavilion can have mixed lighting, so with a camera it is useful to check the white balance and not increase the shutter speed unnecessarily.

For a more complete story, alternate the images of the fair with external photographs of Casale and the hills. A series that goes from tractors to rows, from products to landscape, better conveys the relationship between event and territory than a sequence of stands alone.

The Riccardo Coppo Exhibition Center is located at Casale Monferrato, in Via Martiri di Nassiriya. The city is connected to the motorway network via the A26 and has rail connections. If you come from outside the region, Casale is also a convenient base for continuing your journey to other areas of the Monferrato.

The exhibition area normally has parking for visitors. At peak times, it is still advisable to arrive a little early and follow the temporary signs set up for the event.

The event takes place mainly inside the Exhibition Center and the organization explicitly indicates that the visit is possible even in bad weather. This makes it a good alternative for an autumn weekend when the weather in the hills doesn't allow for a long hike.

Some editions were free to enter, while the official website may provide tickets or online purchasing systems for subsequent editions.

Monferrato Green Farm tells the story of the territory from a concrete point of view: that of those who cultivate, breed, produce, design and work with nature. This is what makes it interesting even for those arriving simply as travellers. Behind the vineyards and the views there are tools, skills, companies and people; the fair allows you to meet part of it in one place.

Spend a few hours at the Green Farm, then exit the pavilion and continue your journey. Walk around Casale, stop for a meal and the next day look for a secondary road that goes up towards the hills. The best way to understand the Monferrato is to see both its faces together: the one to admire and the one that works every day to keep it alive.

Source: official reference of the event.