Dairy goats in forest pasture: a sustainable system in the Maira valley (NW Italian Alps)

From May 1999, in a mountain region of NW Italian Alps, the Maira valley, a goat farm has developed. The “Puy” farm has its buildings (farm house, stable and other structures) in the “borgata” Podio, a historical site in San Damiano Macra (954 m a.s.l.). The farmer rears sixty Saanen goats oriented to the production of a large variety of cheeses. The founding choices that characterize such reality are the forest pasture system used nearly all the year round, not adopted only for a few weeks in the winter period, and a supplementation based on biological feeds. First results on milk quality (e.g. fatty acid profile) confirmed the evident effect of such terroir system and justify a further study on these themes for increasing true sustainable realities in the Italian Alps.