Caprediem: A local excellency and inspiration for future generations
The well-being of MILK
If you stay with us, this is what we'd like you to see and experience during our visit: excellency of local products made by people who work hard in respect of nature, healthy products and an healthy life style of animals and, consequently, of people. When we talk about food it is really fundamental to be aware of what we eat and awareness passes through direct knowledge of who produces our food. Food tastes much better when you know who produces it.
How much do we know about the food we buy? Where do the raw materials come from, what does the farmer or shepherd look like, are natural values and animal welfare respected? We want to be part of this, sustainability and local economy is our new way to do tourism- Are you with us?
"Take two young guys, a dream, a lot of determination and a territory that, if you can see it, it gives many opportunities.
This is the story of Chiara and Niccolò and CapreDiem.
Their goat cheeses, after the rest period of the goats, there you can find again at the market.
Here you can read our talk about respect for animal welfare and how this is reflected in a better and healthier product."
This is an important and established reality in the area that sees 80 local producers working together every day to carry out this beautiful project of local economy.
The Market foundation dates back to 2004, in Piazza Varchi, the central square of Montevarchi, and it was held monthly outdoor. The success of the initiative and the appreciation of the citizens created the conditions for an organizational leap in the project, with the opening of the market in an indoor location and every day. Today it is a reality that every day offers producers and citizens the possibility to distribute and buy, respectively, the fruits of the Valdarno territory and the surrounding valleys: seasonal fruit and vegetables processed products made with artisan methods.
The Farmers' Covered Market is not only a market where local produce can be purchased, but also a place for meeting, comparison and knowledge, thanks to the activities supported by local producers and voluntary associations, including Slow Food, partner of the market's business network. A place where the sales staff, the producers and artisans, and customers become part of a community, aware of the economic and social value of this place.
Interview to Caprediem: meet Chiara and Niccolò
Tell us your story. How was Capre Diem born?
Nowadays the animals grow up in the stable, fed for comfort with feed and hay, more and more sedentary and controlled, alienated from their instincts and selected for the sole purpose of production. Instead, we prefer to define ours as an activity based on sheep farming rather than on breeding. In fact, we consider the grazing component to be fundamental for the welfare of the animals and for the quality of the milk.
After long research we have found in the mountain of Pratomagno, once full of shepherds and now abandoned, the ideal place for the realization of our project. In 2013 we started by buying 15 Chamois goats from the Alps. Today we breed 70 goats in Chiassaia (municipality of Loro Ciuffenna) together with 5 Jersey cows and about 70 hives.
Why did you choose to become shepherds and take care of the animals?
Both I (Chiara) and Niccolò for years worked on farms, in different sectors, and over time we found our vocation with animals. After three years we felt a strong desire to start our own project, where we could experience a more respectful relationship with animals and close to our values, to work and live in contact with nature, in an agricultural context mainly related to animal husbandry and milk and cheese production.
What is the aspect of your work that you most appreciate?
The setting of our company allows us to follow all the phases of the production cycle; from the daily care of the animals that aims as much as possible to their welfare, to the production of milk and its wonderful alchemical transformation into cheese and yoghurt, up to the direct sale and the relationship with our customers/supporters. We respect and find the work of the bees precious, we do not force them to maximize production, we make do with what they do not need.
What are the qualities of your cheese and honey?
We have chosen not to undergo certification but we work according to organic farming criteria: after grazing, we supplement our diet with organic feed and hay and use homeopathic or phytotherapeutic remedies for animal care when possible.
We only process the milk from our animals, the cheese is produced with raw milk in order to preserve the aromas and organoleptic qualities. We make both fresh and medium-aged cheeses, respecting the seasonality of the reproductive cycle of goats and cows. We try to limit the movements of the hives that enjoy the beautiful and uncontaminated blooms typical of these areas, giving us pure and particularly intense honeys.
How important are the alternative channels to large supermarkets?
For us they are fundamental because we have decided to sell directly and through points of sale managed by producers only. In this way we achieve our goal of having direct contact with our customers, without intermediaries."