The milk is collected each morning from the stable at Paterno and then transformed in the dairy at Corzano. The sheep graze in the fields surrounding the stable and were purchased in the early 1970’s by Wendelin Gelpke in order to keep the fields clear of brambles. In those days there were barely fifty sheep and now we have circa 700.
Our earliest experiences with cheese making began in a cauldron on the open farmhouse kitchen fire but after with time we have become the small but modern dairy of today. Years of trials and experiments have produced more than 15 different types of sheep cheese, from traditional Pecorino to a sophisticated Blu, to cheese that is soft or hard, delicate or sharp. Our sheep give the largest quantity of milk during the spring months when the dairy is in operation almost every day of the week, with the production stopping from September to November.
Antonia Ballarin, wife of Aljoscha, is responsible for the dairy and for the creation of the various cheeses. On each individual cheese page you will find her explanation of how they are produced. Till Gelpke, Wendel’s son directed the stables for many years and created the cheese market; this now is the realm of Oscar Goldschmidt. The cheese made on the farm can be found in some of the most prestigious delicatessen and restaurants in and around the Florence area, and along with the wine and oil it can be purchased in our farm shop on the Corzano side.