Our milk

Pier Luigi Rosso dairy collects milk daily from 37 farms in the upper Biella valleys. A characteristic of many of these farms is that the predominant breed is the “Pezzata Rossa d’Oropa” a local breed. This particular cow is especially common in the area from the “Serra” hills and Elvo Valleys to the mountain slopes above Biella as far as Oropa. The herds are usually small with just a few counting 60 cows. The Oropa breed is part of a single red breed which arrived in the Biella and Aosta valleys in the 5th century coming from North and Central Europe along with the Burgundians who crossed the Alps over the St. Bernard pass. The morphological characteristics of the “Pezzata Rossa d’Oropa” are the perfect answer to the economical and working requirements of this area where the herds are brought to mountain pasture for 4 or 5 months. The “Pezzata Rossa” is, in fact, a sturdy breed and after the second calving can reach a production of 10 to 14 litres a day of rich milk. The local farmers are particularly attached to this breed, which is at risk of extinction and over the years they have tried to conserve and improve it.