THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020
www.italoamericano.org
32
L'Italo-Americano
is very important to us. We
want them to be relaxed, so
that the quality of their milk
i s e x c e l l e n t , b e c a u s e t h i s
means our products will be,
too. This is why our buffalos
get massages and listen to
classical music: they love
Mozart." Yes, you read that
right: each of the buffalos on
the farm wake up listening to
the mesmerizing perfection
of Mozart's music while get-
ting — if they want it — a
back and shoulder massage,
carried out by mechanized
rotating bristles.
The same care and respect
f o r t h e b u f f a l o s ' n a t u r a l
rhythms and necessities are
found in the milking process,
w h i c h i s p e r f o r m e d " b y
robots, so it's the animals to
decide when they want to be
milked. They are not forced,
it's up to them," Stefania
explains. It's called VMS, or
V o l u n t a r y M i l k i n g
System and it's been created
in Sweden by DeLaval: when
they feel ready to be milked,
buffalo get near a barrier
where their udders are scan-
ned to see if they are full. If
that's the case, then the bar-
rier opens and milking takes
place thanks to a robotic arm.
Easy-peasy, really. There is
also an automated cleaning
s y s t e m t o g u a r a n t e e
everything is kept hygienic
and sanitized. If their udders
aren't full, then the buffalos
are gently redirected towards
the fields, where they can
continue eating and relaxing.
This attention to animals'
w e l l - b e i n g i s m a t c h e d b y
g r e a t c r e a t i v i t y w h e n i t
comes to products' selection.
While it is famous for its
mozzarellas of all shapes and
sizes, Tenuta Vannulo has
been successfully experimen-
ting with a plethora of other
interesting buffalo milk pro-
ducts: "We make mozzarella,
ricotta, butter, caciocavallo,
yogurt, puddings, spreads
and ice creams. We decided
to branch out and make new
p r o d u c t s t o g i v e m o r e
options to our customers,"
Stefania points out. A great
idea for sure, as all Tenuta
Vannulo's products sell very
quickly indeed.
At the end of our brief, but
interesting conversation, we
couldn't help but ask about
this difficult period and how
Tenuta Vannulo has been
faring: "Since the pandemic
hit, all guided tours booked
by foreigners have been can-
celled. But we kept up those
in Italians: face masks, social
distancing... and life goes
on."
LIFESTYLE
FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE
Continued from page 30
One of the 600 water buffalos at Tenuta Vannulo (Photo courtesy of Tenuta Vannulo/Michele Calogero)
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