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Jean VITI

Ferme I Frasseddi

Goat's Cheese

Visits : April - August

Regions : Sud Corse

Categories : Animal farming, cured meats, cheeses

Agricultural sectors : Corsican cheese

The Viti family have long been raising their animals along the beautiful grassy plateaux of Pianu di Livia, so it was entirely natural that Jean Viti would follow in the footsteps of his parents, grandparents, uncles, cousins and brothers. "Honestly, there was never really any question about it. We've been livestock farmers for generations - that's all there is to it," he tells us plainly.

Jean started out raising cattle, then sheep and eventually goats, from which he now take the milk for his popular cheeses.  But in the Viti household, everyone's a jack of all trades: this is why, when the milking and cheese-making is done, Jean Viti then puts on his macelaru* coat and becomes the village butcher. "I also have a few pigs, so I make my own charcuterie", he explains. “I work all the time without really realising it. My parents did the same before me, and it's been our way of life for generations," he continues. When the animals do grant him a moment of respite, Jean spends his spare time restoring the old caseddi (animal shelters) that are dotted around the area - "just for fun," we’d be willing to guess.

* butcher