For 25 years, Maurizio (farmer and Tai Chi instructor) and María José (former Spanish WWoofer and interpreter for FAO part-time in Rome, have raised their herd of 60 Camosciate Goats and 40 families of bees on the hills of Valviano (Cellino Attanasio).

They chose the Teramo hinterland for its biodiversity given that they rigorously practice agroecology. They farm sustainably and follow and respect the rhythms of nature particularly those of their goats and their milk cycles that run from April to November, then they all rest a bit! Their precious herd walks and forages in the Valviano Hills daily eating grass, with some hay on the farm and supplemented with organic barley in winter. Their girls’ diet does not contain soya or corn.

Each delicious Fattoria Gioia goat cheese is made from raw milk except for their ‘Caciottina which is made without using rennet. This allows you to smell the scents of the herbs they have grazed on in the foothills and provides a more digestible and nutritious milk and flavoursome cheese.

Their products range from the very soft fresh ricotta without added milk to their unforgettable “hot goat cheese”, the tomino or the soft brie. It is an assortment that shows the possibilities of goat’s cheese using local traditional recipes and those from the couple’s travels.

Maria José delivers directly to local restaurants and residents across the provinces of Teramo, Pescara and L’Aquila including the towns and cities of Teramo, Pescara, Montesilvano, L’Aquila, Roma, San Benedetto, Giulianova, Notaresco, Pineto, Atri, Roseto and Valfino. Individual customers can order the cheeses for lunch or dinner, picnic packs to share with friends or family or order an aperitivo for parties. For Aperitivi they partner with other local producers who similarly do not use chemical products in any phase of the processing and respect the beautiful land.