Snail farming or heliculture is a fascinating and multi-faceted agricultural job. There are many false myths about this activity and there are those who think it is a source of easy profits. In reality, it is a job that certainly requires a lot of commitment, dedication and seriousness on the part of the breeder: it cannot be improvised. In addition to the will to do and the perseverance to obtain results, it is necessary to acquire the right skills: it is important to start on solid foundations and to set up snail farming in the rules of the art. .
A good way to learn to breed is to listen and get to know those who have been doing it for a long time, accumulating experience and skills. On the web you can find several courses on snail farming, and even manuals and kits for sale online, the advice is to go to those who breed real snails.
A good opportunity to learn can be the National Heliculture Meetings organized by the Azienda Agricola La Lumaca, in Tobia, Viterbo.
The owner Ambra Cantoni has put her twenty years of experience at the service of Orto Da Coltivare: thanks to her invaluable technical assistance we have written the various articles explaining the breeding of snails, so we can recommend her courses to you.
Contents [Ocultar]
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Heliciculture courses organized by La Lumaca
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When and how to attend training meetings
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Why choose the training offered by La Lumaca
Helicopter courses organized by La Lumaca
For many years the company La Lumaca has been organizing National Meetings of Heliculture, practically courses in which the breeding of snails is explained from the basics, with a direct comparison with those who have been carrying out this activity for decades and put their experience available.
These meetings explain the heliculture from A to Z, from the construction of the factory to the commercialization, passing through all the sanitary and bureaucratic regulations to carry out this work. All the aspects to consider in order to achieve a successful business and a healthy product ready to sell will be covered.
As in all professions, there are not only positive aspects but also difficulties that must be taken into account to properly assess the subject and decide, with the data in hand, whether or not to start this activity. Therefore, in the course we will also talk about the “cons” of this activity, that is, the obstacles that we face and the possible unforeseen ones. The idea is that you have to be able to put even the most uncomfortable aspects on paper, not to create easy illusions, but to form conscious people.
dating program
The Meetings organized by La Lumaca are divided into theoretical lessons and a practical part. During the theoretical part, the topics covered are as follows:
- factory building
- perimeter fence
- Professional nets for Helitex HDPE indoor shelters
- Construction of interior fences
- agricultural irrigation system
- Land preparation and planting
- Breeder Helix Aspersa Muller
- Breeding method Cantons
- Power source
- predators
- snail collection
- Bleaching, drying and storage
- Nutritional properties of the snail
- Estimated production and income
- product recall
- Bureaucracy, taxes and various registrations
- Heliciculture funds and financing
- fluff and caviar
- Curiosity
The practical part, on the other hand, takes place in one of the farms created by La Lumaca and allows you to touch the real helical reality. It will also be an opportunity to see materially the points covered in the theoretical course.
It will show how a factory should be structured, nets, snails, product storage materials, flours for feed and how to purge cages etc.
Particular attention is paid to the mud extractor which will be exposed throughout the operation. You can see the natural slime and snail slime cosmetics produced by the company.
When and how to attend training meetings
The meetings always take place on Saturdays to give everyone the opportunity to access the company since these are national courses and they only last one day. The training takes place over a day in total immersion.
The objective is not only to give a first basic information to start raising snails, but also to let people who attend the event know if snail farming is the right job for them. This is important to avoid spending time and money on an activity that does not match his skills or passions.
The dates of the meetings are published on the company’s website and on the Facebook page, but those interested can send an e-mail to info@lalumacaweb.it explicitly requesting the helicopter courses, so that they can inform of the dates of the events.
Appointments are always limited, so it is best to book in advance, they are organized between October and December. The participants of the course benefit from “natural life during” important discounts for the purchase of the main materials necessary to undertake the breeding of snails (nets and reproducers). In addition, those who start with the courses at La Lumaca will be constantly supported.
Why choose the training offered by La Lumaca
There are several reasons why we recommend the meetings promoted by La Lumaca:
- A long-standing business . It is the oldest farm in the field of heliciculture, with a great experience that can be taught and shared with those who are starting from scratch.
- A solid experience . Not all snail farming courses are the same. For several years, many small snail farms have developed, striving to be teachers and organizing internships. Before you can be fully capable of teaching anything from scratch, you need to have a solid personal experience. For this reason, you should always be very careful who you trust. People with real experience are able to solve any serious problem that may arise, those who have been bred for a few years are not able to do this.
- An original and proven method. The open-air “Cantons” method, studied and perfected over the years, is the most efficient farming system, so much so that it has been copied on many other farms. The successes of this method are proven.
- passion for your work . Ambra Cantoni considers the heliport as the best job in the world, and in her training she transmits this passion.
- a well-known company . You can find La Lumaca on the internet, on their facebook page and also here at Orto Da Coltivare, where they have been in charge of the technical support of all articles on heliculture.