The year 2023 is an important year for the Fattorie Didattiche del Veneto project, marking 20 years since the beginning of this project. Etifor was involved by the Veneto Region for the co-development and management of the annual Update Day, through which the educational farms maintain their registration in the regional register. To date, there are more than 400 educational farms registered in the Veneto Region, a number that indicates the success and liveliness but also the complexity underlying such a project.

The problem

Twenty years after the start of the regional project Fattorie Didattiche del Veneto (educational farms in Veneto), the Region deemed it appropriate to dedicate a moment of celebration and reflection together with the managers of the educational farms. Twenty years have marked the need to look back by celebrating the goals achieved, to observe the present by taking a snapshot of today and to reflect on the programmes and future prospects of this regional initiative. The Region therefore expressed the need to foster the creation of a safe space for direct interaction, the strengthening of the network’s relations now with more than 400 registered farms and the gathering of input from participants to guide the Region’s work in future years.

The project

The Update Day – planned, managed and facilitated by Etifor – responded to these needs also thanks to the co-design of the contents and methods of involvement with the working group of the region. The structure of the day was repeated for 10 meetings located throughout the Veneto region and hosted each time by a different educational farm. Each meeting had an average of 40 participants (one per educational farm) for a total of 405 participating farms. All meetings maintained the same format, and were conducted by two facilitators using participatory techniques that allowed for alternating moments of plenary sharing and small group discussion. In addition to reflecting on the past and present, the afternoons of all days were dedicated to the future by discussing the effectiveness of three key initiatives for the project: the Open Day, the Fuori Classe competition (and the relationship with schools in general), and the Annual Update Day. This was an opportunity for the farms to make their voices heard and give suggestions and ideas for the coming years.

Our contribution

Etifor’s role within the project was:

• Organisation of the 10 days: co-design of the Update Days with the regional working group;
• Stakeholder participation and involvement: conducting participatory processes through the facilitation of the 10 days;
• Collection and sharing of the findings with the regional working group and the final beneficiaries;
• Drafting of a final paper.