Since 1879
Serra and Valserena,
a long history
Tradition, quality, love for a timeless product: these are the values that have always inspired and guided the Valserena farm.
The story of Valserena is closely tied to that of the Serra family in Gainago, when, back in 1879, the family bought the estate and the adjoining stables that the farm occupies today. Since then it has devoted itself exclusively to breeding Brown cows, whose fine milk is transformed into Parmigiano Reggiano "di sola Bruna" Valserena.
The oldest Parmigiano Reggiano dairy still in operation
Forage crops, wheat, corn and alfalfa meadow in a five-year rotation
The recipe handed down from father to son by the Serra family
A history almost 150 years long
The ancient Genoese families Serra and Balduino acquire the Gainago estate. The property consists of 9 farms with land and farm buildings. From the very start they choose to raise the Swiss cow — today the Italian Brown — for the unique milk it produces.
Birth of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. Valserena is among its founders: at the time it had already been producing this cheese for about fifty years, effectively becoming the dairy with the longest history.
All the dairy cows are brought together in a single modern barn on the “Emilia” farm. The other farms are set aside for calves, dry cows and heifers. The farm dairy is renovated to process the milk of about 300 cows.
Birth of the Consorzio Disolabruna® together with other Brown cattle breeders, to enhance the products made from this unique milk. Every wheel carries the breeder's name: a guarantee of complete traceability for the consumer.
Valserena obtains the certification “NO GMO”: a further guarantee that the animals are fed exclusively with non-genetically modified products, grown in-house or purchased from certified suppliers.
È Giovanni Serra, with his siblings Antonietta and Niccolò and his son Gian Domenico, leads the company. Valserena produces 17 wheels a day and oversees every stage of the supply chain: from 430 hectares of cultivated land to aging, from 12 up to 70 months.
Valserena dedicates 10% of its land to the protection of wildlife and the conservation of the flora typical of the area. Respect for biodiversity is paramount, with growing attention to endangered species such as bees. The packaging is geared toward 100% sustainability and the company will be energy self-sufficient within 2 years.