
Col nero di Toscana
On sale now “col nero di Toscana” at 2.50 eur / kg. works for almost everything: finely sliced in salads, to make kimchi/sauerkraut, in stews
Know more about our organic and sustainable methods of handling livestock at the farm.
Our cows belong to the Menorquina (“Menorcan”) breed, native to the neighboring island of Menorca.
This older breed has adapted to the land and is dual-use: for milk and/or cheese as well as for meat production.
Our animals live outdoors year-round, grazing from different plots of the farm. They feed exclusively on grass (pasture, hay or forage, and shrubs or trees). The calves suckle from their mothers naturally throughout the year. They drink breastmilk until they are at least 7 months old as a minimum, sometimes even up to 9 months. Simultaneously, they start to feed on grasses by themselves at around 2-3 weeks (pasture and fodder). From birth, our calves stay with their mothers, the bull, along with the other cows and calves, all together in a herd. Our animals enjoy a completely natural lifestyle: every day, the mother cow licks her young one up and down, back to front until his hair looks stylish; there’s the presence of the father and of the other cows, the fights they engage in that allow the younger ones to learn about hierarchical order within the herd; and, equally important, the herdsman’s benevolent hand.
We then separate the calves for weaning. This also allows the mother a period of rest from breastfeeding until the next birth.
We do not give grains, feeds or flours for artificial fattening to our lactating mothers or to the calves (which would produce a heavier carcass weight) before slaughtering them. Their diet consists of grasses or fiber only, and for this reason, our cows grow more slowly. This is one of the reasons our meat has an exceptional flavor and texture. Our animals are allowed to develop according to their instincts in a natural environment. They consume the diet intended for ruminants—grasses.
Meat coming from cows fed exclusively on pastures or grass has a more balanced Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid ratio, which has been proven to be beneficial for human health. Animals consuming diets that include grains, however, produce meat higher in Omega 6s, which skews the beneficial balance.
Another interesting feature of grass-fed cows, which is currently being discovered, is the importance of the (conjugated linoleic acids) found in their meat and dairy products; CLAs are noted for having anticarcinogenic effects.
And, of course, there’s the remarkable, bold flavor unique to grass-fed beef.
Our hens belong to the Mallorquina breed (more or less). They travel around in a handful of mobile chicken coops (“chicken tractors”) or in enclosures surrounded by a protective electric fence over our pastures. We rotate their grazing behind the cows. This way, they mainly feed on grass and are simultaneously able to fertilize the land. They produce eggs high in Omega 3s with rich, bright yellow yolks. We supplement their feed with grain (not produced on the farm).
A small apiary of between 5 and 12 hives supplies honey and also guarantees the necessary pollination for the field and orchard. The bees are also able to take advantage of certain varieties of flowering clovers and herbs.
On sale now “col nero di Toscana” at 2.50 eur / kg. works for almost everything: finely sliced in salads, to make kimchi/sauerkraut, in stews
Autumn time to harvest sweet potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes. It still takes a bit to get them out. We already warned. Together with the pumpkins,
New member of the Klaus pack, born a week ago with his father watching over everything. A month from now we sacrifice a calf. We
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