Curiosity, passion, amore, tradition: here are the ingredients of Claudio Grossi's work, caring keeper of two ancient varieties: the Leonessa barley and the so-called Miracle wheat because of the mighty branched ears that can reach two meters in height. "It all started thanks to my grandfather - he explains -. He had preserved ancient seeds that no one knew what they were anymore. From those seeds an extraordinary story came to life ". In Santa Maria del Piano, fraction of the Municipality of Lesignano de 'Bagni in the province of Parma, Claudio Grossi took his first steps between the fields and the family stable. By planting those seeds and observing their growth and maturation, the way forward became clear. It was the desire to experiment that pushed Grossi in the wake of what is now his main business. "For thirty years I have been growing these particular species of wheat and barley. But before doing so I studied and deepened the knowledge of these ancient varieties that have practically disappeared. Naked barley was grown up to about a hundred years ago as a substitute for coffee (it was in fact called the "coffee of the poor"). I didn't know it could be used for this purpose, but when I roasted it for the first time, I felt that it had a wonderful scent and I realized that something extraordinary could be obtained. As for the grain of the Miracle, the story is similar. Today it has been replaced by the various types of modern wheat. It is a little more expensive because it requires more accurate and slow processing, it is also less productive than the modern one. One hectare of land produces on average 40 quintals of the first, 60 of the second ".