By Dr. Francesco Tiezzi, Department of Animal Science at NC State & Ashley See, CFSA Communications Coordinator | Thursday, Aug. 8 2019 – 

Maremmana beef cattle at Tenuta di Paganico

This month, we finish taking a closer look at the farms and food of central and southern Italy by exploring four different farms or farm businesses that produce specialty meats or pasta. In this specific line-up, we’re excited to discuss:

  • Mulino Val d’Orcia – A pasta-to-plate farm, mill, and restaurant
  • Macelleria Belli – A 50-year-old butchery
  • Tenuta La Fratta – A farm raising one of the oldest breeds of cattle in the world
  • Tenuta di Paganico – A farm that has grazed its heritage cow and pig breeds in a peculiar silvopastoral system since the 1920s and produces its own cork

Read on to learn about the unique ways that these producers are modernizing the craft of some of the most beloved traditional foods throughout Italy.

And if you’re wondering why CFSA is talking about farming in Italy, then you may have missed our kickoff article by CFSA Executive Director, Roland McReynolds, who attended the trip or part-one of the series where we looked at three very different dairies using three very different kinds of milk–sheep, water buffalo, and cow–to make cheese. 

Disclaimer: There are some photos of raw meat below. (more…)

by Roland McReynolds, CFSA Executive Director | Friday, July 12, 2019 –

Pasture-based dairy sheep in Tuscany

Last September, I had the incredible privilege of joining a tour of farms and food businesses in southern and central Italy. Organized by NC State animal science researcher and native Tuscan, Dr. Francesco Tiezzi, the tour explored farm and food manufacturing enterprises that help small- and mid-scale family farms in Italy to thrive and protect the environment. Europe has been grappling over the last 70 years with the same pressures that make farming a difficult career in the US—development pressure, global competition, corporate concentration—and yet has done a better job of keeping farm families on the land and rural communities healthy. The Italian study tour provided an up-close look at some of the things that make this success possible.

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By Dr. Francesco Tiezzi, Department of Animal Science at NC State & Ashley See, CFSA Communications Coordinator | Thursday, July 18, 2019 – 

Caciocavallo Podolico aging in the cave at Az Agr Pessolani

Last September, NC State animal science research and native Tuscan, Dr. Francesco Tiezzi took a tour group of people who have worked in food and agriculture around the world, with students, faculty, and staff from NC State, plus CFSA’s Executive Director, Roland McReynolds, and several CFSA members on a tour of farm and food businesses in southern and central Italy.  

If you want to read more about the trip from Roland’s perspective, don’t miss his article here. 

The tour explored many farm and food manufacturing enterprises that help small- and mid-scale family farms in Italy to thrive and protect the environment. For the sake of this blog post series, we’ll share seven of the stops.

In the first part of this two-part series, we’re looking at three very different dairies using three very different milks–sheep, water buffalo, and cow–to make cheese. Here’s the lineup:

  • Caseificio Cugusi – a 57-year-old sheep dairy making pecorino cheeses
  • La Maremmana – a water buffalo dairy specializing in making true mozzarella
  • Pessolani – a cow dairy making a traditional Podolican cheese that’s at risk of extinction

Read on to learn about the unique ways that these cheesemakers and farmers are modernizing the craft of some of the most beloved traditional foods throughout Italy.

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