What prepared you to be a farmer? It is a family business and since many generation we were producer especially in olive oil and wine
What is a unique feature and how many hectares do you farm? around 700 (about 1700 acres
Tell us about your main crops (olives, grapes, etc) and how you chose the varieties.
Regarding the olives the varieties are Moraiolo, Frantoio, Leccino and Dolce Agogia. All these varieties come from century since some of the olive trees are more then 1.000 year old.  Regarding the grapes, we have been a producer for many centuries but in 1998 we planted 40 new hectares (100 acres) with: Sangiovese, Sagrantino (a unique grapes that only grows in Umbria), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah.
How much of food goes to farmers markets and or restaurants? Mostly we sell on line and many people come to buy at our winery since we believe that  is  very important that consumer could see where the products come from. We make our Zero CO2 emission tour with our Electric Jeep in our vineyard and Olive trees… It is a unique experience.
What challenges do you have as a farmer? Produce always the best you can with the goal to improve every year.
Where do you see farming in the future? To be a producer is very difficult to cover your cost, but I think there is only one way: quality, quality and quality
Where would be your ideal location for your last supper, what would be your meal & music and who would join you ?My love is to have a meal inside our farm with a beautiful bruschetta with fresh tomato, a piece of Parmigiano and a glass of red wine.  … the reason why we are Zero CO2 emission is because all the environment where we leave and produce our wine and olive oil has to be as pure as possible.  Not only do we want to breath fresh and pure air but also the olives and the grapes they start their quality breathing pure and clean air.

Lorenzo Fasola Bologna  is the CEO of Castello Monte Vibiano. After graduating in Business Administration from the University of Perugia he took over his traditional family business in Umbria growing olives, producing olive oil and wines from the Umbria region. The production comes from the beautiful hills around Castello Monte Vibiana Vecchio just outside of Perugia. Umbria have often been called the green heart of Italy with it’s panoramic hillsides with sceneries of sunflowers, vineyards and olive trees. It is considered one of the finest and best agricultural areas of Italy. Lorenzo started at 16 years old to organize sports events for the city of Perugia, then the region of Umbria and finally all over Italy. For many years he was a radio speaker and journalist until. 10 years ago he decided to return to his family business that he grew up in and focus on introducing his olive oil and wine on a worldwide scale. His unfiltered first press olive oil, produced and marketed frozen in small single portion bottles, is unique and is served in some of the best restaurants, hotels and first class airline catering, both in Europe and USA. It was recently named the best olive oil in the world by the International Olive Oil Competition “ARMONIA”. Several television programs have featured his green gold, among them the globally distributed CNN Traveller. Lorenzo modernized the wines of Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio. Umbria is considered the next big wine region in Italy geographically, with some of the greatest of Italian wines, both white and red coming from the region. His reds wines have gotten rave reviews in the international press, especially the L’Andrea a unique blend containing the Umbrian grape Sagrantino and Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sangiovese grapes. Lorenzo is a great enthusiast of Umbrian Cuisine and of course all of Italy. He has traveled all over the world to demonstrate the olive oil, food and wines from his home region. He has held numerous cooking classes of Italian and Umbrian food in his home, introducing amongst others journalists and his clients worldwide to the magic of Umbrian olive oil, food and wine. Those events have appeared in various TV shows and high style magazines in many countries. It’s thanks to Lorenzo’s great passion for the environment that on 5 February 2010 his company, olive oil and wine producing business “Monte Vibiano”, became the first farm in Italy and one of the first in the world to achieve 0 greenhouse emissions and to be certified number /0000001 in 2009 ISO 14064 from DNV. Two years after launching the ‘360 Green Revolution, an all-encompassing ecological plan that turned Monte Vibiano into an eco-sustainable company, and pledging to annul dangerous emissions by 2009, Lorenzo kept his promise: Monte Vibiano went from 287 tons of CO2 in 2004 to -764 tonnellate of CO2 . Not an easy task, but then Lorenzo is not the type to shy away from a good challenge. Webpage: http://www.montevibiano.it

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? Being a good chef starts with giving people the freshest food possible. The closer it is to home, the less time it takes getting in our doors. That insures a quality, fresh product. Local, usually smaller farmers, take more pride in their work, a personal vested interest, and can achieve some different flavor characteristics in the food.
If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?Pigs. I love everything about them.
What one seasoning can you not live without? Garlic
What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc] Salt
What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? I don’t think there was a celebrity chef that I followed before going to culinary school. I just knew I liked to eat, and cooking was very enjoyable to me. I learned a lot watching my mother.
What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? George Will
Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?In the Bahamas with my wife.  I would eat anything with conch in it, especially conch fritters and stew.  Appleton Estate rum and great wine.  Jack Johnson playing in the background.

 Known for his sophisticated and seasonally-driven cuisine, renowned chef and Atlanta native Shane Touhy has built his career on years of experience, hard work and personal flair.  Upon the opening of Dogwood, his new restaurant located in the heart of Atlanta, patrons will have the opportunity to indulge in Touhy’s one-of-a-kind dishes.  As executive chef, Touhy is responsible for menu development, food production and kitchen operations.

Touhy’s passion for food and entertaining came early in life by observing his mother, an ideal Southern hostess, who filled their home with uniquely-styled dishes created with warmth and simplicity.  He then went on to formalize his culinary education at Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina.  Touhy achieved early success as chef at Primo on Hilton Head Island, becoming partner at the enterprise in his mid-twenties.  Following his time at Primo, he returned to Charleston in order to further sharpen his culinary skills by working with master chef James Burns, who is known for his work at the famous Tavern on the Green in New York.  Touhy was promoted to chef de cuisine at Burns’ restaurant, J. Bistro.

After five years of working with Burns, Touhy decided to try a new market with a different style.  At Mickey and Mooch in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina, he updated the traditional “steak and potatoes” menu by incorporating more seasonal, coastal-style dishes.  This combination proved successful and led to the opening of a second location in downtown Charlotte.  In 2001, Touhy returned to Atlanta to join Blue Ridge Grill as the executive chef where he quickly became known for his unique and stylish cuisine made with the freshest Georgia ingredients.

Now, Touhy is at the helm of his first solo venture, Dogwood, housed in the bottom of the Reynolds condominium building in Midtown.  The menu at Dogwood will include American dishes that incorporate Touhy’s regional influences and the use of local products.  Dogwood is a warm and inviting, city-centered gathering place with an elegant Southern setting.