My name is Graziano Poggioli, I was born in Serramazzoni and I have 7 brothers. My older brother and I were born at home, under the supervision of a 'breeder'. I like to think that this is where my passion for breeding began. I am dedicated to breeding because I am the son of a farmer. My father passed on his passion for the land and agriculture and I am proud to carry on these passions. I have a degree in architecture and for 22 years I had a green building studio. My dairy has earthen walls and this was my idea - of which I am very proud. The dairy was then renovated with various green building techniques in the 2000s. My typical day is structured like this: I wake up at 5 a.m and have a hearty breakfast, at 7 a.m. I go to the dairy and take care of all the activities to run the business (from production to administration) together with my colleagues.

Santa Rita Bio Caseificio Sociale was founded in 1964 and boasts almost 60 years of experience in the production of Parmigiano Reggiano made with mountain milk. The dairy is located in the province of Modena, in the municipality of Serramazzoni. The name Santa Rita came about after years of negotiations with the owner of the land, Signora Rosilde. She gave up her land on which our dairy was later built, on the condition that it be named after Santa Rita, the saint of impossible undertakings. We have a close collaboration with neighbouring farms and breeders in our area. This has allowed us to create an entire organic production chain that has been AIAB/ICEA certified since 1994. Constant commitment and research have contributed to the high quality nature of our produce, while maintaining its artisan soul. We are now in our third generation: the company was founded by the grandparents, carried on by their children and then by their grandchildren. Knowledge is thus handed down, preserved within the walls of the home through the words and deeds of the people who work on the land and in the stables. We have collected many prestigious awards in international competitions, including the gold medal in 2004 at the Mountain Cheese Olympics in Appenzell, Switzerland. Our success is due to the high quality of the raw material. The air, water, clayey mountain soil and the controlled feeding of the cattle all make a difference. The work of the cheesemakers who recognise milk by its smell, colour and texture is also essential. Equally important, is the spirit of the people of this land, both friendly and stubborn, who despite their diversity know how to team up to defend and enhance their cultural heritage. The Santa Rita dairy is now at the forefront of protecting the Modenese white cow, an endangered breed of cattle, representing the only Slow Food committee of Parmigiano Reggiano. The Santa Rita dairy also invites tourists to publicise the who, where and how of organic Parmigiano Reggiano. We open our doors to schools and groups, to campers or to couples who want to spend a romantic night in a yurt. The didactic dairy, renovated using bio-building materials and techniques, becomes a place where a territory comes together to celebrate organic and biodynamic agriculture. All our products, including the eggs and fruit from our orchard, as well as the products in our shop, are strictly Bio/Biodynamic. The landscape surrounding the cheese factory is a rural agricultural matrix with alternating pastures and cultivated meadows. In addition, there are patches of native tree vegetation with mainly oak and chestnut trees. The Santa Rita dairy is nestled in a small provincial town. We take care of promoting the product, but we also promote the territory and tourist activities related to the environment and farms in the area. For example, you can come and stay with your camper van inside our dairy. The garden sharing idea was born recently but it works very well. In addition, with our 'Bio e Slow' initiative, we invite visitors for tastings of various types of seasoning or guided tours to see how Parmigiano Reggiano is made. We get our water from municipal aqueducts. Each animal needs about 100-150 litres per day. In some summer periods, we use grass for feeding. Our area is surrounded by nature, so we only respect the native microflora of the area, but we plan to improve this in the coming years by promoting beekeeping. We have also installed a photovoltaic system of about 40 kW and have a small composting area. As of 2016, 11 people work in the dairy, eight men and three women. They all receive a salary in line with the collective labour agreement.