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The Association of Producers consists of 15 cattle breeders who took over the historical mountain pastures in Val Gerola and Albaredo per San Marco (Valtellina-Lombardia). They produce what is considered one of the best Alpine cheese and certainly the only one in the world which can ripen perfectly for more than 10 years. This special feature results from the optimization of all natural conditions of this area:
1- Dairyman's skill and competence;
2- Physical condition of the cow;
3- Quality of the grass resulting from weather condition and from the peculiar pasture system employed in this area (shifting pasture);
4- 10-20% goat's milk compulsory (milk of autochthonous goats living in Val Gerola or in the Orobic area, risking extinction).
This cheese can vary only according to natural changes (that is why it is unique); the dairymen in the Valli del Bitto are aware of it and concentrate therefore on the process of maturation. They are provided with a special branding iron called "Valli del Bitto" (this branding has momentarily been suspended - click here) and with a statute different from that of the other producers of Bitto (from 1996 the whole Valtellina is considered area of production). This statute is based on rules which demand respect for the time-honoured tradition of Bitto cheese. Absolute natural cattle feeding is one of its strictest rule.
