Il Forteto

The Cooperativa Il Forteto was founded back in 1977 when it settled in the agricultural estate of Bovecchio, in the municipality of Barberino di Mugello, in the province of Florence; in 1982 the cooperative then moved to the Riconi farm, still in Mugello, but in the municipalities of Vicchio and Dicomano. The Il Forteto agricultural cooperative originates from the desire of a group of young people aged 19 or 20 who gathered in the premises of a parish in Prato.

They were students, young workers, who met to discuss their problems and to organize some meeting points for the community. Over time, the group began to feel the need to create a perspective for the future based on a life together. At that moment, agriculture seemed the most suitable environment to realize this ideal of communal living. In that group of twenty-something individuals from Prato and Florence who decided to "return to the land" in the '70s, seeking support from their experiences at the University, in study and research centers, seemed a natural step: thus experimentation became an integral part of their work.

To this day, this commitment to innovation is evident in the technology of the orchard systems, in the drip irrigation method, in anti-frost systems, and in the IT applications that go on to complement the established artisanal work for cheese production. Innovations that can enhance traditional experiences and cultures. Il Forteto is also particularly attentive to the protection of the environment: in its nearly 500 hectares of territory, it maintains a relationship of balance with nature and the environment, anticipating a sustainable use of resources.

Since the beginning of its activity, Cooperativa Il Forteto has also sought to distinguish itself in the agri-food market through a base of cooperative members who highlight the quality and value of the products offered on the market. Currently, Cooperativa Il Forteto is a company that successfully produces and markets, in Italy and abroad, cheese, meat, apples, extra virgin olive oil, bread, and numerous other agri-food products.

It is within the scope of dairy production that this Florentine reality manages to give its best: truly unique cheeses that will bring only the best of quality and taste to your table, products strictly artisanal made with the raw materials from the wonderful landscape setting of Mugello. One of the qualities of Il Forteto is its ability to create new products that usually represent a revival in modern terms of an ancient dairy tradition strongly rooted in the territory.