Andrew McClelland
The Advocate

Growing up in Montreal’s Italian district of St. Léonard may not have been what instilled Massimo Malorni with a love of farming. But the 22-year-old’s family heritage provided him with a deep connection to agriculture, one that transcends boundaries, traditions and nations.

“My earliest memory of agriculture is harvesting tomatoes as a toddler on my grandparents’ farm in Italy,” Malorni said. “After picking the ripe tomatoes, I would watch in awe as my grandparents transformed them into homemade tomato sauce.”

Malorni’s family hails from the small town of Montorio Nei Frentani in the Molise region, about 200 kilometres north of Naples in southern Italy. There, his cousins still run a fourth-generation organic olive oil farm called Olio Frentana, where the Gentilly variety of olives are cold-pressed following the October harvest.

Young Massimo spent his summers on Olio Frentana, spending countless hours learning about traditional agriculture. It was an experience he describes as “profoundly transformative.”

Early appreciation

“That experience taught me the importance of hard work, resourcefulness and the joy of turning raw ingredients into something meaningful,” he explained. “This early exposure gave me an appreciation for the process of turning raw ingredients into something meaningful and inspired my love for farming.”

Much more than instilling Malorni with a love of agriculture, helping his grandparents harvest grapes or feeding livestock gave him a philosophical outlook on tradition and innovation – and how to balance those qualities in modern-day farming practices.

“The farm was small but self-sufficient, and its reliance on traditional methods showed me the importance of preserving heritage while also recognizing the need for innovation,” Malorni said. “These experiences laid the foundation for my future ambitions in agriculture.”

Strong science, business foundation

Those ambitions led him to Macdonald Campus, where he enrolled in the Farm Management and Technology program in 2023. Looking for an education that could provide him with a strong foundation in both the science and business of agriculture, Malorni hit the jackpot at FMT, learning the intricacies of crop management, livestock care and soil science.

So far his time at Mac has been eventful: in the summer of 2024, Malorni spent three months working on Hofstra Farms, a dairy farm in Millet, Alta., and in the fall he was one of six Mac students to be awarded a Warren Grapes Scholarship from the Quebec Farmers’ Association.

“When I found out I had won, I felt incredibly honoured and grateful,” Malorni said. “Receiving this scholarship not only validated my hard work and passion for agriculture but also motivated me to continue pursuing my goals with even greater determination.”

Aiming to start an operation

Currently, Malorni is focusing on his education as much as possible. In the long term, he wants to start his own farm in Canada, combining traditional methods with innovative practices, creating a sustainable farm that contributes positively to both the environment and the local community.

“One of my primary motives for entering the agricultural industry is to be part of the solution to the growing challenges we face as a global community,” he explained. “I’m particularly interested in how we can develop more sustainable farming methods that produce high-quality food while minimizing environmental impact.”

That balance between tradition and innovation, sound practices and environmental concern puts Malorni right at the heart of honouring the farming he observed on his grandparents’ farm in Italy while moving forward with cutting-edge techniques.

“The future of agriculture, in my view, lies in collaboration between tradition and innovation, between small farms and global markets. I hope to carry the values instilled in me by my grandparents while embracing new technologies like vertical farming and hydroponics. Agriculture is at a pivotal moment, and I am eager to be part of its transformation toward a more sustainable and equitable future.”