Fantello Farmstead Creamery – Enumclaw, WA

Paul Fantello along with business partner Patricia Ciatto and their daughter Angelina, raise Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW) dairy cows and produce Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW cheeses and butter at Fantello Farmstead Creamery in Enumclaw, Washington. Truly a family business, Paul’s grandmother, Filomena, started the dairy farm in 1918 and worked on it until her retirement at 80 years of age. “In 2015 a new idea came about to keep animals on the property, get out of harvesting them for consumption, and a dairy business much like his grandmother’s began to evolve,” says Patricia. “In 2015, Paul took over the business, using many of the same methods use by his grandmother.”

Over the years, the Fantello family has used land for a variety of farm animals, but most recently spent decided to focus on dairy cattle and cheese production. “We took two years constructing the creamery,” says Paul, “and getting licensed to make and sell cheese. Now, I focus on cattle management and Patricia on cheese-making.”

The herd of Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW Jersey cows at Fantello Farmstead Creamery are managed outdoors on pasture. “Our cows are fed with local hay and local grasses, so you can taste the place in our products,” says Paul. The farms uses rotational management, when cows graze one section of pasture before being moved to fresh fields. This type of management allows grass to recover before cows return to graze again; it also keeps the soil properly fertilized and minimizes the build-up of internal parasites, thereby avoiding reliance on chemical treatments. “We calf share and allow the calves to remain with their mothers for 3 months before they are weaned, and an important part of our animal husbandry practices,” says Paul.

For the Fantello Farmstead Creamery business model, it is important to be involved in every aspect of the farm and cheesemaking process. “Patricia makes cheeses that are truly handmade, every step of the way, from Paul milking the cows into cans and hand dumping the milk into vats, to aging on wooden boards to make the cheese as pure as possible. We don’t use milk pumps or outsource milk—so that we have complete control over the final product.”

Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW cow’s milk cheeses and butter from Fantello Farmstead Creamery are available directly from the farm and at area farmers’ markets. Check the AGW directory for details. For more information about Fantello Farmstead Creamery, visit fantellocreamery.com, follow the farm on Facebook and Instagram and get in touch with Paul Fantello and Patricia Ciatto at (253) 606-9446 and fantellocreamery@gmail.com.