On the slopes of Mount Etna, in Piana di Catania, our 100% Sicilian farm was born. It is rooted in a family tradition that spans three generations. Though our brand is young, it carries the legacy of a long-standing heritage. We are a team of passionate young women and men who believe in real environmental responsibility, the promotion of Sicily’s cultural and natural heritage, and the importance of reconnecting with nature and the art of farming.
The fresh identity of our brand comes from a long-standing tradition, and Carmelo is the name that connects the first and the latest generation in this journey. Carmelo, officially registered with this name and affectionately called Carmineddu by his mother, later shortened to Neddu, was the one who envisioned and laid the foundation of our business. He was the starting point for a future that has become our full-time present. He was a visionary entrepreneurial mind who took a chance on a kind of work that became both an opportunity and a source of pride for the generations that followed. With a strong and determined character, he lovingly passed on his knowledge, shaped by study, experience, and constant dedication, to his children and grandchildren.
Cresciuto in queste terre, il profumo delle arance sugli alberi e la terra vivace sotto ai piedi lo accompagnano fin dai suoi primi anni di vita. L’ingegno e la tenace forza di volontà che lo contraddistinguono gli hanno permesso di prendere in mano le redini dell’azienda agricola, ampliarla, rinnovarla, operando con cura e pura devozione per una realtà in cui si sente totalmente immerso.
Le sue sono sapienti mani di un artigiano che ha saputo fare del suo lavoro un’arte nobile e gratificante.
Raised on this land, the scent of oranges on the trees and the vibrant soil beneath his feet have been with him since his earliest years. His resourcefulness and strong will allowed him to take the reins of the farm, expand it, renew it, and care for it with dedication and deep devotion to a world he feels completely a part of. His are the skilled hands of a craftsman who has turned his work into a noble and fulfilling art.
The fresh identity of our brand comes from a long-standing tradition, and Carmelo is the name that connects the first and the latest generation in this journey. Carmelo, officially registered with this name and affectionately called Carmineddu by his mother, later shortened to Neddu, was the one who envisioned and laid the foundation of our business. He was the starting point for a future that has become our full-time present. He was a visionary entrepreneurial mind who took a chance on a kind of work that became both an opportunity and a source of pride for the generations that followed. With a strong and determined character, he lovingly passed on his knowledge, shaped by study, experience, and constant dedication, to his children and grandchildren.
Cresciuto in queste terre, il profumo delle arance sugli alberi e la terra vivace sotto ai piedi lo accompagnano fin dai suoi primi anni di vita. L’ingegno e la tenace forza di volontà che lo contraddistinguono gli hanno permesso di prendere in mano le redini dell’azienda agricola, ampliarla, rinnovarla, operando con cura e pura devozione per una realtà in cui si sente totalmente immerso.
Le sue sono sapienti mani di un artigiano che ha saputo fare del suo lavoro un’arte nobile e gratificante.
Raised on this land, the scent of oranges on the trees and the vibrant soil beneath his feet have been with him since his earliest years. His resourcefulness and strong will allowed him to take the reins of the farm, expand it, renew it, and care for it with dedication and deep devotion to a world he feels completely a part of. His are the skilled hands of a craftsman who has turned his work into a noble and fulfilling art.
100%
Pesticide-free products
We are committed to preserving the health of our consumers and workers, the well-being of the planet, and the goodness of authentic flavors.
21
Hectares of land
Cultivated using organic farming techniques and powered entirely by renewable energy sources, thus reducing CO2 emissions.
100%
Sicilian products
Grown in our own territory to minimize environmental impact and promote the fruits this land offers, along with its culture and small local communities.
1950
Neddu made his way working as a sharecropper for several landowners while also engaging in activities such as nursery farming and acting as a broker for sales and land deals. The uncultivated lands were transformed by his hands into citrus orchards, marking the first time he refined an experience that would prove essential for the generations to come. The goal was still far off, but these are his beginnings.
1975
Years of sacrifice paid off, allowing Neddu to develop a major goal: becoming the owner of his first land dedicated to growing watermelons, the original core of the entire business. In Piana di Catania, the production of this fruit was very limited, and Neddu had the foresight to cultivate it by installing small nylon sheets over the young plants, effectively creating mini greenhouses. The benefits of this technique were clear: the plants grew faster and yielded higher production, with larger size and weight. Most of the crop was sold to the nearby Catania fruit and vegetable market.
1985
Gradually, the company began to take on the shape it has today by converting the watermelon fields into citrus orchards. This was a significant period in which the cultivation of blood oranges gained increasing importance in Sicily’s economy, both in terms of land area and production volumes. Now, Neddu focused on producing and marketing the fruit specific to Catania, a true symbol of the city. As the market rapidly expanded, Neddu decided to move briefly to Rome to open a wholesale warehouse there. During this time, he established a close partnership with a trader that allowed him to return to Sicily and focus solely on production. Meanwhile, Giuseppe began handling commercial contacts.
1990
Giuseppe was still a young man when he began investing effort into developing the company, adopting increasingly advanced techniques and establishing important business relationships. The company became more and more cutting-edge and expanded significantly in terms of land area.
2008
Our product is sold directly on the plant (with buyers handling the harvesting and packaging themselves) to large commercial groups such as 3 Moretti and OP Rosaria. Meanwhile, under Giuseppe’s management, the cultivated area continues to expand, reaching as much as 20 hectares, of which 18 are dedicated to blood oranges and 2 to almond groves.
2010
Giuseppe’s company is moving towards Integrated Pest Management, an agricultural production method that reduces the use of chemicals by adopting low-impact practices such as crop rotation, the use of beneficial insects, infestation monitoring, and the application of low-impact plant protection products. This approach is supported by many experts (and backed by specific national and European regulations) as a step toward sustainable agriculture that protects environmental resources as well as the health of consumers and workers.
2019
The company came under Carmelo’s leadership, who focused on harvesting and packaging our own product for export. Sales have been concentrated in England, particularly in London, where our products are sold at New Covent Garden Market, the largest fruit and vegetable market in the UK. Customers include processing companies such as Beavertown Brewery (now owned by Heineken), Total Produce UK, Square Root London, and others, as well as fresh produce retailers. In Italy, the brand gained traction through B2B and collective orders, as well as through private customers who discovered us mainly via social networks like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Our direct sales have also expanded to small shops in France and artisanal gelato shops in Germany.
2024
The new Neddu brand has invested in water-saving irrigation systems, automated irrigation technologies, photovoltaic systems (aiming for full energy self-sufficiency through models that do not take land away from agriculture), the purchase of innovative equipment and machinery, new commercial partnerships (including with foreign companies), the creation of our own packaging center, the company’s conversion to organic farming, and the process to obtain PGI certification. That same year, work began on the development of our website, a showcase to introduce our company to industry wholesalers and an e-commerce platform for selling fresh products and experiences directly to individual consumers. Our commitment is focused on promoting and enhancing the value of our homeland, and of a noble, authentic kind of work that can and must be sustainable.
Future vision
We are committed to keeping our brand moving forward, focusing on innovation, sustainability, and cultural promotion, while relying on the very young minds involved in the project who also embrace the authenticity passed down from the past. Our customers include wholesalers, retailers, processing centers such as gelaterias, juice producers, and pastry shops, as well as individual consumers who value product quality and support environmental causes. Our main strengths lie in our ability to offer a product of the highest quality at highly competitive prices, thanks to our direct sales model. Without intermediaries, we avoid the price increases and loss of freshness that often come with traditional distribution. We also bring to market a project that is both original and youthful.
Those who dedicate themselves
They are young women and men who believe in the importance of rediscovering our connection with nature through sustainable work, the highest expression of caring for the earth.