Tales of a Distant Farm – a bit of history

Published on by bushboy

Debbie’s One Word Sunday: History  

So the theme/prompt is History. I thought I would delve back into my history and re-post one of my first posts, some 2,790 posts ago in May 2012.

On my recent travels, I managed to visit a farm in the mountains behind Verona, Italy, in the Valpolicella Valley a well known wine growing region in Italy.

No, it wasn’t a winery I visited but a dairy. The dairy was very old and when I asked the owner how long the family had owned the farm (me in English/Italian – her in Italian/English – most comical conversation!!!) she shook her head and just said many many many grandfathers…..and perhaps it did look that way as well…..

Image

Behind those doors are many a good thing but more of that later.

Can you imagine running a dairy where your herd is kept in barns for 7 to 8 months of the year? The only time they get out onto pasture is in late Spring and Summer and the pasture they go to is quite well grassed.

Image

The yellow are a sort of Dandelion. Lake Garda is in the distance.

The conditions that the part of the herd I saw was rather boggy, but they weren’t all the milkers, just the calves and a few of the milkers. A shed nearby was still stacked with hay and covered.

Image

The milking bales were rather old but worked and it would take a while even though the herd was around sixty cows

Image

But the product that came from the milk – cheese – was some of the best cheese I have ever tasted. They make ten different types of cheese – all unpasteurised – which means they can only sell from the farm gate or at some markets, but what cheese!!! Of the eight I sampled there was only two that I didn’t really enjoy. The two year old mature cheese was so good as were the softer cheeses, some with added flavours…the chilli one was divine!!!

Image

The fresh cheese just made that morning

Image

The cheese room complete with mould.

The food produced from the farm was always value added and not much went to waste. Remember that doorway

Image

Yes THIS door.

Behind that door was an array of salami, some of which had also been haging for a number of years. The smell was surprisingly pleasant and the taste…juicy and tender, full of flavour.

Image

Just hangin’ ’round

Everyone on the farm just hung around together outside as well

Image

I did like to see that chooks are the same all around the world in how they view that anywhere you want to is where you can sit and lay an egg!!!!

Image

No I didn’t check to see if she had laid or was sitting on a clutch!!!

I hope you enjoyed my dairy farm visit as much as I did

23 thoughts on “Tales of a Distant Farm – a bit of history”

  4. Oh, I would have loved to have visited this farm, so interesting. Loved the cheese views too. My favourite food is cheese!
    Talking of keeping a herd indoors most of the year. Sounds like America where the bulk of their herds are kept indoors. intensive farming etc, but far more hi tech the farm you visited.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Looks wonderful. Was it a place you just stumbled upon or a planned visit? I once bought a wheel of cheese as my souvenir from a visit to the Azores, so I’d have loved that farm.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. How wonderful! I love visiting old dairies and old wineries – anything old still working. I’d love to have a piece of that cheese. Your photos make spring and summer come a bit closer too.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.