Healthy cows. Best milk.
The cows of the Vipiteno Dairy Cooperative and their feeding
Our cows live on small-scale family farms within our collection area and are treated with care and respect. Here, it’s not about quantity—each farm keeps an average of 15 cows—but about diligence and experience.
On our farms you’ll find Brown Swiss, Simmental (Fleckvieh) and Tyrolean Grey (Grauvieh) cattle. These breeds are robust, adapted to the Alpine climate and provide high-quality milk with a balanced taste. Each cow has its own personality—and its own name, based on the first letter of the mother cow’s name.
Feeding: What our cows eat
Our cows eat what grows on the meadows and fields: fresh grass, fragrant hay and a wide variety of herbs. In addition, grass and corn silage are also part of the diet on some farms. Concentrated feed is used selectively when needed. Feeding is tailored to the animals’ needs and contains all essential nutrients. Animals with a balanced diet are healthier, live longer and also produce better milk quality.
Hay milk: Natural goodness you can taste
Hay milk comes from cows that are fed exclusively with grass, hay and herbs—without any silage. This makes the milk even more aromatic and rich and increases the levels of valuable ingredients such as omega-3 acids. Since 2017, at the Vipiteno Dairy Cooperative we have bottled all fresh milk as pure hay milk, meeting the wishes of many customers for a natural product with an unadulterated taste.
Since we’ve been feeding our cows exclusively with hay, they’ve been noticeably better—and it shows not only in them, but also in significantly fewer vet visits.
Acting sustainably. Ensuring quality.
For us, sustainability and quality are not empty words. Our members work according to strict requirements and are regularly audited. Many farmers rely on sustainable farming practices—meaning careful animal husbandry, short transport routes and resource-efficient feeding. You can find details on this and our sustainability goals in the Sustainability Report.