Mr. Carlo Sama, Mrs. Giulia Ferruzzi, Dr. Guilia Ferruzzi, Dr. Mario Ferruzzi

Mr. Livio Ferruzzi was an agronomist with global vision and reach who spent over 40 years impacting international agriculture and agro-business. After graduating from the University of Bologna with a degree in Agriculture, Mr. Ferruzzi started his career in the canning industry with Giulio Colombani, experimenting with fruit varieties and innovative drainage techniques in the peach orchards of Ferrara, Italy. In the 1970’s, the Gruppo Ferruzzi company. led by Serafino Ferruzzi, entrusted Mr. Ferruzzi with the development of Open Grounds Farm, an area of approximately 40,000 acres in Carteret County, North Carolina. Today what was once a swamp is one of the largest single farms in the United States.It was in these years that Livia chose to relocate his family to Beaufort, North Carolina from Italy. In subsequent years, Mr. Ferruzzi became the general manager of Open Grounds Farm and eventually Ferfin_ Montedison, a multinational agro-business firm. In this role, Mr. Ferruzzi continued development and management of millions of acres of modem farms in expansive areas ofBrazil, Paraguay and the pampas of Argentina as well as Italy, France, England, and the United States. In 1994, Mr. Ferruzzi began his private consulting firm Worldwide Agricultural Consultants providing his expertise to global agricultural and food industries including assignments with Cirio-Bertolli-De Rica in Italy. Since 2000, Mr.Ferruzzi continued professional associations with FerSam Holding S.A., managing extensive farm holdings including Las Cabezas in Argentina and Agropeco S.A. in Paraguay. As a diffuser of modern agricultural methods, technology and policies, Mr. Ferruzzi always advocated a global vision for the future of agriculture in the United States. Livia Ferruzzi passed away on March 4, 2011.