22 Could West Coast Farming Follow the Tuscan Template? With Ariane Lotti
What if growing food didn’t have to destroy the planet?
Ariane Lotti grew up in the U.S., trained in environmental policy at Yale, and worked on Capitol Hill. But her journey took an unexpected turn: she returned to her family’s rice farm in Tuscany to reinvent agriculture from the ground up.
Ariane Lotti grew up in the U.S., trained in environmental policy at Yale, and worked on Capitol Hill. But her journey took an unexpected turn: she returned to her family’s rice farm in Tuscany to reinvent agriculture from the ground up.
In this episode, we meet this regenerative farmer who's testing the limits of what’s possible—combining policy smarts with muddy boots. Ariane walks us through the lessons Italy and Europe can offer the West Coast, from flavor and biodiversity to subsidies that reward rural resilience. We also talk ducks, risotto, the promise and perils of organic certification, and how U.S. ag policy might finally modernize.
In this episode, we cover:
- The surprising differences between U.S. and EU farm policy
- Why regenerative agriculture needs room for experimentation
- How ducks could replace herbicides in rice paddies
- What the West Coast could do with our land if we started from scratch
- Why farming is both political and personal
Guest Bio:
Ariane Lotti is the owner of Tenuta San Carlo, a regenerative rice farm and agritourism business on Italy’s Tuscan coast. A former Yale-trained policy advocate in Washington D.C., she now grows rice organically, raises livestock, and experiments with soil and water conservation techniques that blend ancient practices with modern research.
Ariane Lotti is the owner of Tenuta San Carlo, a regenerative rice farm and agritourism business on Italy’s Tuscan coast. A former Yale-trained policy advocate in Washington D.C., she now grows rice organically, raises livestock, and experiments with soil and water conservation techniques that blend ancient practices with modern research.
Related Episodes:
- Ep 19: Could Roman Ruins Inspire West Coast Offense? (Greg Amrofell)
- Ep 18: What If the West Coast Took Health Into Its Own Hands? With Abie Flaxman
- Ep 08 Leave America and Discover Ecotopia? (Greg Amrofell)
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Listen:
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Thanks to:
- Hosts: The Tenuta San Carlo team (Instagram)
- Student Program: University of Washington Wellness in the World (Instagram)
- Producer: Tim Wohlberg
Resources:
- Tenuta San Carlo (Note their recipes!)
- Posto Pubblico (Yum)
- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- FAO: Ducks in Integrated Rice Farming