Interview with Mara Balbis

For the "Character of the Month" section, the protagonist is a long-standing member of the Cooperative: Maria Balbis, from the F.lli Balbis farm in Leca - Albenga. An agricultural enterprise that holds membership card no. 845… in other words, a business that has always been an integral part of L’Ortofrutticola's life.

The heart of the farm lies in potted aromatic plants and daisies, two crops that the Balbis family has been dedicated to for a very long time. These two complementary sectors allow for a constant presence in both national and European markets. For Maria Balbis, two are the key values recognized in the Cooperative: it strives to promote and showcase the productions of the Piana and to enhance the products supplied to the best extent. Moreover, the provision of agronomic services and the availability of experts ready to listen and engage with farmers represent an added value that few cooperative organizations can offer their members.
The Coop. L’Ortofrutticola is not just a place where services are accessed or where essential purchases for farm management are made, but it embodies the ideal of cooperation and subsidiarity, making its members feel united and actively involved. As Balbis emphasized in her interview, “no one saves themselves alone; being united, exchanging advice and experiences, makes us feel part of a territory. And this motivates us every morning to make it even more beautiful and well-known, and to perform our work to the best of our ability, surrounded by so much beauty.”
A sentiment shared by many members, farmers, and small entrepreneurs … for whom today, more than ever, “unity is strength” in facing increasingly competitive markets.