For some years now a breeding farm in Valchiavenna based exclusively on grass feeding without the use of antibiotic, hormones and GMO&´s has been following a family tradition. It&´s a story of passion. Fabio Braga is 42. Today he runs a successful start-up that within a few years of its launch has become a reference point for quality grass-consuming cattle breeding. It all began in 2018 when uncles Enrico and Luciano decided to retire and close the family farm in the valley at Prata Camportaccio. "It was as though I&´d lost a part of my roots, forever" he confides. In everyday life Fabio runs a business in the construction sector, but nevertheless he really didn&´t like the idea of its closure. "I was well aware that taking over a farm was no joke," he continues "from my early days I was a shepherd&´s boy, but this was another thing altogether.

There were any number of considerations, regulatory and administrative matters included. Not to mention the weather. It was an enormous challenge, but I knew that if I was to take the project forward it would have to be set up in an innovative way".So it was 2018 when Fabio established his farm business, the perspective being orientated towards quality and animal welfare. Everything was to be interpreted in a biological and sustainable fashion. The breed was never in doubt: BlackAngus. No casual choice. Aberdeen Angus is one of the most popular and requested meats. The "marbling", or the streaks of fat that are evident in the muscle fibres, give the meat a unique flavour. The Angus has short, dark hair, hence the name Black, it has no horns and is of medium build. Furthermore it adapts well to any type of pasture, including an Alpine one. The principles of GrassFed stock-rearing are key to Fabio&´s company. But the challenges are considerable and obliges him to be almost fanatic in his approach to care and control of all aspects, starting with the feeding: his cattle eat only forage from fields that Fabio selects personally, uncontaminated by chemical fertilisers or pesticides. No animal feeds or supplements. The cattle are then free to graze in the surrounding meadows and spend the summer months in the wild, on the open pastures of Montespluga. Over time numbers increased and the breeding achieved remarkable success.

Today the meat produced by his company is highly sought after, with reservations that anticipate the slaughtering by several months. Fabio has no intention of increasing production, nor pursuing profit-orientated business models. His satisfaction stems from the awareness of being the interpreter of a breeding model consistent with the principles in which he believes. And clearly the appreciation he receives from his customers is a genuine commendation for his labours.