Let's discover the Caseificio Buon Pastore brand: here is our interview

The Buon Pastore Dairy is a reality that was founded in 2010 from &' the idea of redeveloping a &' the entire agricultural area through the improvement of the characteristics of the land, with a dairy production project aimed at re-establishing a link with the herding tradition.
Romagna is the land of origin of the founding members and the dairy recounts their passion for l&' agriculture through the aromas and fragrances that bring out many memories.
Meticulous care is dedicated to the selection, aging and &' refinement of peculiar and unique cheeses.

The production is very varied, starting from fresh cheeses, through seasoned cheeses, to refined cheeses.
All Good Shepherd cheeses are produced with an artisanal method by the expert hands of the cheesemakers. They do not contain preservatives, nor are they treated into a crust. They are the fruit of the highest dairy tradition, for the joy of the table and the palate of those who consume them.
The Buon Pastore Dairy draws energy from renewable sources: sun and wind are the engines of the activities of &' company. In fact, agriculture and energy are mixed in a positive combination with &' it teaches sustainability.
The dairy reality was created precisely to enhance the local context and re-establish a link with tradition.

We like these realities, these producers of unique, certified and award-winning delicacies: they are real treasures embedded in our Peninsula between seas and mountains and in the most remote streets of villages and countryside. We don't stop to experience only their products, but we want to discover more closely the protagonists of this brand. That's why we sent some questions to those who manage communication with us.

Stay with us and get to know the Buon Pastore Dairy: read the answers!

Who are we talking to?
This is Glenda Raspanti, Head of Agriculture.
Is the company family run? For how many generations and from what year exactly?
No, this is a srl whose majority share is held by the company Tozzi

Who was the founder? What was the founder's education or what is the work and professional branch from which he came if different from the current one?
The farm was founded in March 2010 on the initiative and project of Solar Farm, a company owned by Tozzi Green S.p.a and Gardini 2002 srl. Tozzi Green is a company that has been operating in the renewable energy sector for thirty years. Solarfarm's goal was to combine, in an excellent way, nature and technology, dairy tradition and sustainable innovation.
The Good Shepherd Cheese Factory is, therefore, the happy result of the fusion of these elements that give life to a very modern reality in the open countryside.
What is the real reason or the triggering fact behind the birth of this company and when did it happen?
Tozzi Green has always pursued an idea of sustainability in all its dimensions, environmental, social and economic, as evidenced by the construction of the photovoltaic lawn in Sant'Alberto (RA). A solar park among the largest in Italy in terms of installed power and size, as well as a unique example of a photovoltaic system designed in a way that is perfectly integrated with an extensive sheep farm.
Tozzi Green has chosen to create a dairy reality, valuing the local context and re-establishing a link with tradition. The sheep also graze under solar panels, helping to maintain the grass cover.
What is your relationship with the land of origin and its typicality? And why do you want to tell them with your products?
The land of Romagna is the land of origin of the founding members who are passionate about agriculture. The Good Shepherd recounts this passion through aromas and fragrances, which bring back memories of the past. Selection, aging and refinement, taken care of with meticulous attention, are the prerequisites for the production of unique cheeses, for the joyful preservation of goodness as a sublime form of life.
What was the first product you created?
Teodorico, seasoned pecorino cheese.
What is the product that today, on the other hand, do you consider “top”?
The Outlet of Saint Albert to which has been added the Byzantine who can, by right, be in first place. It's ex aequo!
And what is the product that in the entire history of the company has most carried with it the beating heart, philosophy and soul of the company itself?
The Outlet of Sant'Alberto.
Let's talk about today: how big has the company grown since its inception? Can we get some numbers?
When the company was founded it was managed by 3 people and the processed milk was about 35,000 liters l&' a year, 7 people currently work there and the annual liters processed have become about 80,000 liters.
Right now: more tradition or more innovation?
Innovation in tradition.
What was the most important evolution of the company to get it to what it is today?
In recent years, the company has achieved the challenging objective it had set itself, namely to standardize production quality and taste to satisfy an increasing number of customers, keeping the craftsmanship intact.
Speaking instead of the future: what tomorrow will the company wait for? Are there any changes or some new evolutionary process planned?
The company is striving to be increasingly green and sustainable also thanks to the management of a woman belonging to the new Tozzi generation, the eldest niece of the founder Franco Tozzi, Virginia Lo Rizzo.
Are you planning to create new products?
The Buon Pastore brand is synonymous with quality and craftsmanship. We believe that our range of cheeses, all strictly untreated in crust, is complete. However, we continue to experiment with new references that could become the new flagship products tomorrow.
Having focused on Spaghetti & Mandolino, how important is online sales for you, what was your relationship in the past with this sales channel and how do you see it in the future?
We believe that online sales are essential for those like us who would like to export Romagnolity outside regional borders. In the past we were not ready for this channel, today we are and we think it represents the future for us.
Value: what was it, what is it today and what will it be in the future for your company?
Sustainable craftsmanship