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Carmarthen Journal, Wednesday, August 29, 2012
A TEIFI Valley cheesemaker is encouraging members of the public to support his Italian colleagues.
Makers of Parmigiano- Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese in the Emilia- Romagna region have been devastated by earthquakes on May 20 and 29.
A total of 44 factories and maturation warehouses were damaged in the tremors, resulting in damage to 608,000 individual cheeses.
This represents ten percent of the total annual production.
John Savage-Onstwedder, inspired by the efforts of groups in The Netherlands, has set up a campaign to help the stricken producers.
“As an artisan, raw milk cheesemaker I understand how important it is to support raw milk cheesemakers wherever they may be, because they are an endangered species not just in the UK, but all over Europe,” said Mr Savage- Onstwedder of Teifi Farmhouse Cheese.
He added: “There is a vociferous, irrational anti-raw milk lobby and as a result raw milk cheesemakers are in decline worldwide.”
Protected by a designation of origin, Parmesan cheese is mentioned in its modern form in documents tracing to the 13th and 14th centuries.
The cheese can be purchased from the Save A Cheese campaign website for £22 per kg including postage and packaging.
The average UK retail price is £25 per kg.
The cheese will be ready for collection at the end of September and will be sent out in October.
For details on how to support visit http://www.saveacheese.com
3 Wheeled Cheese 