Description
A meeting was organized at Ottorino Del Castello farm, located in Capracotta. Mr. Ottorino is well known farmer both for his Caciocavallo cheese and for the extensive rearing system he has adopted. His breeding system has caught the attention of several national television programs in which he has appeared. It has been a good opportunity for the dairy farm to increase their customers with this national exposure. In the area of Capracotta it is very difficult to manage land and crops, due to climate and soil conditions (cold and snowy winters, clay soils) the farm management is a very simple system. The municipality allows the Ottorino farm to use common lands for grazing, this way it helps to maintain the biodiversity of natural grasslands (avoiding shrub encroachment) and the local farmers businesses. The Ottorino farm does not have cultivated land or machinery but takes advantage of the wide biodiversity of Capracotta’s natural grassland, which is rich in grasses (Festuca, Bromus), Orchis and Trifolium species. There is a collaboration with Flora Appenninica Garden”, a group of local researchers that advises the local farmers about grazing. The Ottorino farm has no paddocks but has adopted a free-grazing system. After the morning milking, 30 dairy cows of the Ottorino herd are allowed graze for the day. The herd returns to a small shelter in the late afternoon. The produced cheese is aromatic, tasty and very appreciated by the local market patrons. The Italian Simmental is a dual purpose breed, young males are sold to produce meat. Due to the simplicity of the system the Ottorino farm has a profitable business by selling products locally but also by having very low production costs.
