Farming here is not like farming on the plains. Mountain farming is a daily struggle against an inhospitable landscape, the climate and hard work. But it is precisely from this struggle that our greatest achievements arise. We’re not just talking about numbers; we’re talking about life. Every barn that survives up here is a bastion defending the land from abandonment and landslides.

Just think about it: when you see those perfectly manicured meadows, the clear slopes, or the summer mountain huts, you are witnessing the quiet work of our farmers. Managing the land means carrying out manual ‘mowing’ where tractors cannot reach, tending the pastures, and keeping the traditions of mountain farming alive. If people stopped looking after these mountains, the forest would reclaim everything within a few years, and we would lose this unique biodiversity. Our members are not just milk producers: they are the gardeners of these valleys.

And all this care is directly reflected in a perfect cycle that extends right back to the barn. Because a healthy environment means exceptional feed for our cows. Here, the rules are strict, dictated by respect for nature and the production regulations for Trentingrana. Our cows’ diet during the winter months is based on locally grown hay, sun-dried, with a small supplement of feed made from strictly
non-GMO and certified maize and cereals.

In summer, however, everything changes. The cows are taken up to the mountain pastures for around ninety days, from mid-June to mid-September. Up there, they roam freely in the open air, where they can graze day and night, returning to the barn only for milking. Just imagine: the milk produced has a rich yellow colour, thanks precisely to their diet consisting exclusively of nutrient-rich fresh grass and high-mountain flowers.

Now, let’s continue along this thread. Let’s move to our right, where we’ll see where this milk comes from.