When David and Rynn Caputo started Caputo Brothers Creamery in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, they intended to revolutionize the way mozzarella and ricotta cheeses are made in America.
“We wanted to make good quality cheeses, like we had eaten and learned to make in Italy,” Rynn Caputo says, referring to their combined experience as trained cheesemakers at culinary school in Italy.
They weren’t aware of what a positive impact they would have on the local dairy community. With milk prices dropping across the country, Pennsylvania dairy farmers find themselves operating at a loss. David and Rynn are helping to make the dairy market in Pennsylvania more sustainable with the production of their authentic Italian cheeses.
“We are currently paying about double what the conventional milk market pays,” shares Rynn. “This allows our farmers to operate at a profit instead of a loss.”
It’s not just the welfare of their farmers that the Caputos care about. They require that their dairies be Animal Welfare Approved, which promotes agricultural systems that have a positive impact on the environment, society, and animals.
Those practices make a difference in taste. David stresses the importance of mozzarella made traditionally, locally, and with quality milk.
“In a time when everyone wants to know how each grain of wheat was ground, how each pig was nurtured and fed, and which parcel of earth their vegetables were grown in, we’re still chowing down on commodity cheese made from industrial milk supplies. Why?”
Most industrial cheese companies use vinegar or citric acid to achieve coagulation, which is a faster process that allows them to make a larger quantity of product. The Caputos’ process is unique because of the natural fermentation process.
Family friend and loyal customer Liz Lieu raves about the resulting flavor: “There’s no comparison! Nothing beats warm, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery mozzarella,” promises Liz. She adds that the Caputos “teach us how to appreciate authentic flavors and foods as they should be.”
That focus on authenticity has helped them to grow from producing about 40 pounds of cheese per week in 2011 to about 4,000 pounds of cheese per week now. In addition to the creamery on North Main Street in Spring Grove, they support an attached restaurant, La Tavola, that focuses on locally produced Italian food, and an Italian touring business where they will lead eight trips throughout Italy this year.
The Caputos intentionally put Caputo Brothers Creamery on Main Street in Spring Grove because they want to shorten the urban-rural divide–known as agritourism in Italy. This allows the local community to access the knowledge they have acquired over the years. That knowledge includes more than just award-winning cheese. They hope to embody the Italian sense of community that “is steeped in ritual and tradition.”
La Tavola offers Farm Table Dinners, which include a five-course group culinary experience that demonstrates traditional Italian cuisine, while sourcing local and seasonal ingredients.
The Caputos host small group Culinary Tours to Italy that offer authentic experiences, friendship, and a reverence for the Italian artisans and food traditions of each region.
The retail shop offers artisan cheeses as well as their most popular product, CapoMozz– frozen curds to make your own mozzarella at home. It also features pastas, olive oil, and local products.
In addition to the retail shop, Caputo Brothers Creamery products are sold locally at Apple Valley Creamery, Leg Up Farmers Market, Tastealotta, Smoke & Pickles Artisan Butcher Shop, and five local Giant Food Stores.
Caputo Brothers Creamery cheese is featured on an impressive list of local restaurant menus, including LUCA, Tutoni’s, Artisans & Oak, Per Diem, Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar, Molly Pitcher Brewing Company, Bricco, Knead HBG, Millworks, Troegs Independent Brewing, and Allenberry Resort.
Ultimately, much of how the business is run comes from the couple’s time in Italy.
“It’s of course where we studied and learned to make cheese,” explains Rynn. “But when we go back, it’s the sense of community and small-town feel that keeps us inspired. We strive to bring that sense of community back to Spring Grove–whether it’s helping a neighbor, being your local cheese shop, or providing a space for people to gather together.”
To learn more, sign up for tours or classes, or book an event, go to:
