Meet the Maker – Ca' Verde, the Organic Dairy of Verona

Ca' Verde Organic Dairy, Verona

In 1978, a group of young farmers near Verona took on an abandoned farmstead and turned it into a dairy cooperative. Nearly fifty years on, Ca' Verde is still run the same way — own animals, own land, own dairy, nothing bought in. Here's their story, and what's new on our shelves.

Rescuing an abandoned farm

The name Ca' Verde belonged to a derelict farmstead outside Verona before a group of young farmers took it over. Too small to compete alone, they formed a cooperative instead — pooling land, animals and labour rather than each trying to make it work solo.

Organic before organic had a name

By 1985, seven years in, Ca' Verde had already committed to farming without pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertiliser — years before organic certification existed as we know it now. It's the kind of decision that only makes sense if you're doing it for the land rather than the label.

The cooperative's brand name, Ottomarzo, references its own founding date: the 8th of March.

Between Lake Garda and the Lessinia mountains

The farm sits between Monte Baldo and the Lessinia mountains, overlooking Lake Garda — good grazing country for cows and goats. The milk goes straight from the herd to the on-site caseificio, where master cheesemaker Alvaro turns it into ricotta, mozzarella, scamorza, stracchino, pecorino and more, the same day.

We regularly receive fresh stock of Grani's sourdough bread and biscuits in store – proper, slow-food Sicilian baking, with the kind of story behind it that a label can't quite capture.

What's arriving at Farmer's Deli

Their full range lands in store this week:

• Cow's milk: fresh mozzarella, stracchino, ricotta, scamorza (natural and smoked), caciottina

• Goat's milk: robiola, primosale, mozzarella, ricotta, scamorza, morbidella, magrello

• Sheep's milk: pecorino fresco and stagionato

• Latte Fieno STG, fresh organic cow's milk, 1L — from cows fed on grass and hay only, no silage. It's an EU-protected designation, and the milk has a short shelf life, so it's worth grabbing while it's here.

All of it certified organic, all of it from one cooperative that still raises its own animals and makes everything on site.

Delivery throughout Malta & Gozo.

 Farmer's Deli online shop.