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At Cascina Oschiena, a rice farm on the Vercelli plain in northwest Italy, Alice Cerutti is making room for wetlands and woodland alongside rice fields. The farm’s reported approach combines habitat restoration with historic rice varieties, cover crops, sheep grazing and deliberate water management. It is a strategy shaped by heat and drought—but the available account does not measure how much any one practice reduces crop damage.
Making space for nature on a working rice farm
Cascina Oschiena lies between Milan and Turin in a landscape of rice fields, woods and wetlands. Cerutti took over running the family farm in 2012. An AFP report published by RTL Today on 12 October 2026 describes the property as 110 hectares, with about one-third restored to a natural state, including 25 hectares converted to wetlands.
The restored areas are part of the farm’s land-use choices, not simply decoration around the crop. They take space out of rice production while providing habitat. The report says rare species such as the Large Copper butterfly occur in the wetlands and that black-tailed godwits have been recorded nesting there. Those are claims reported in the article, not independently verified ecological survey findings.
How the farm combines crops, soil and grazing
Historic rice varieties
The farm grows red and black rice as well as historic varieties including Carnaroli Classico and Arborio Classico. The AFP account describes these varieties as producing smaller yields of higher quality than modern varieties and as better able to withstand drought and extreme heat. It notes that Carnaroli Classico has awns, which are thought to help protect the grain against heat and cold. The report supplies no comparative trial data or yield figures, so these should be understood as reported characteristics rather than quantified guarantees.
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Cover crops and sheep
Cerutti uses green manure and legume crops, and brings about 1,200 sheep onto the fields between rice harvests. Their grazing leaves organic matter, according to the report. It also says she grows Carnaroli Classico without chemical fertilizer. The account presents these as elements of this farm’s system; it does not isolate their effects on soil, yield or heat resilience.
Water timing
Cerutti has said that early flooding has helped her farm combat drought. That is her reported experience, not a universal water-management prescription. The same account describes water scarcity and changing sowing methods in the wider rice-growing region, so the value and feasibility of a particular approach depend on local conditions.
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What the approach trades—and what may help pay for it
Restoring wetlands and woodland means less land is available for rice. The report describes Cerutti seeking other income to offset earnings lost through habitat restoration, including visits for schools and academics and guest accommodation. It also says the farm has buyers in Britain, Dubai and the United States, but provides no sales figures or evidence that these markets replace the income from cropped land.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstall| Choice described | What the report establishes | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Restore wetlands and other habitat | About one-third of a 110-hectare property is reported restored to a natural state, including 25 hectares of wetlands. | The resulting change in farm income, crop output or measured biodiversity. |
| Grow historic varieties | The farm grows Carnaroli Classico, Arborio Classico, red rice and black rice; the report describes historic varieties as more heat- and drought-tolerant. | A controlled comparison of varieties or numerical yield and heat-loss results. |
| Use cover crops and sheep grazing | Green manure and legumes are used, and about 1,200 sheep graze between harvests, leaving organic matter. | The individual contribution of these practices to resilience or productivity. |
| Manage water through early flooding | Cerutti reports that early flooding has helped combat drought on her farm. | A general recommendation applicable to other farms or a measured water-saving result. |
What the heat-resilience claims do—and do not—show
The farm’s practices form a combined approach: habitat restoration, crop choices, soil management, grazing and water timing. The AFP account does not separate their effects or provide controlled results showing how much heat damage they prevent. It therefore supports a story about how one farmer is adapting, not a quantitative claim that biodiversity alone beats heat.
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The report attributes an estimate that about 25 percent of rice production could be lost to heat to agricultural organisation Coldiretti. It does not establish the estimate’s year, geographic scope or original release, so that figure should not be treated here as a verified forecast. The report also attributes to Cerutti an 80 percent decline in migrating birds in the rice belt over the preceding 15 years, but gives no baseline or survey method; it is her reported observation, not a formal regional statistic established by the account.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why this farm is a useful example, not a universal model
Cascina Oschiena shows the practical tension at the heart of biodiversity-oriented farming: setting land aside for habitat reduces the area available for crops, while the farm’s response includes both changes to cultivation and efforts to earn income from visits and accommodation. Its experience suggests questions other rice growers can assess locally—how much land to restore, which varieties suit their conditions, and how water should be managed. The reporting does not provide the comparative yield, cost or climate data needed to rank this system against other farming methods.
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