CASEIFICIO SOCIALE DI PRIMIERO

In Primiero, cheese is much more than a product: it is a way of telling the story of the mountains, the work of local farmers and the rhythm of the seasons. This is the story behind Caseificio di Primiero, founded in 1981 through the merger of the valley's traditional turn-based dairies, bringing together a centuries-old cheesemaking heritage under one roof.

Much has changed since then, but some traditions have remained. Among them is the practice of Alpine summer grazing, when cattle are taken to higher pastures during the warmer months. Here, the animals feed on mountain herbs and produce milk enriched by the characteristics that only the Alpine environment can provide.

This is the milk used to make the mountain pasture cheeses, which travel from the high pastures down to the valley, where they are transformed and aged. A short journey, but one rich in meaning, connecting the mountains with the dairy and the daily work of farmers with that of the cheesemakers.

At Caseificio di Primiero, tradition and innovation live side by side: on one hand, knowledge passed down through generations; on the other, a modern facility designed to make the most of the raw material and preserve a cheesemaking tradition deeply rooted in the territory.

Its philosophy can also be found in the simplicity of its ingredients. The cheeses are made using only milk, rennet and salt, with no added preservatives or additives. A choice rooted in tradition that allows the quality of the milk to speak for itself.

And milk is the true protagonist. Most of the dairy's cheeses, including Primiero and Trentingrana, are made with raw milk, a method that helps preserve the natural qualities and richness of the milk in the finished cheese.

But the story of the dairy does not end with cheese. Its connection with the territory can also be experienced in two places where the mountains can truly be tasted: Malga Rolle, at Passo Rolle, and Malga Fossernica di Dentro, in Vanoi. These two farm stays are directly managed by the dairy and offer the perfect setting for a delicious snack, an authentic lunch or a memorable dinner surrounded by the atmosphere of the high mountains.

This deep connection with the territory is also expressed through the Slow Food Presidia, which celebrate some of the dairy's most distinctive products and traditional practices. These include 18-month-aged Trentingrana made with mountain-pasture milk, produced exclusively during the summer season using milk from the mountain pastures; Botìro di Primiero di Malga, made with raw cream naturally separated during the Alpine grazing season; and Puzzone di Moena DOP from the mountain pastures, an expression of Alpine meadows and the traditional washed-rind technique. These are products that follow the rhythms of nature and, thanks to their seasonal and limited availability, offer a particularly authentic expression of the relationship between people, animals and the mountain environment.

From pasture to milk, from milk to cheese, from mountain hut to table: Caseificio di Primiero keeps a tradition alive, day after day, at the heart of the valley.