Where The Water Buffalo Roam

A trip to Italy inspired this North Carolina couple to start raising water buffalo and producing their own cheese.

- By Heather Lifsey

Every farm has a beginning, but how many of those stories start with cheese?

The story of Fading D Farm, a North Carolina water buffalo dairy, does. During a 2011 trip to Italy, David and Faythe DiLoreto fell in love with mozzarella di bufala, a traditional mozzarella made from water buffalo milk. Back home in Salisbury, the DiLoretos looked for the cheese but couldn't find it. Fresh mozzarella must be eaten within a few days of being made, so getting it from Italy wasn't practical.

A New Venture

The DiLoretos had never farmed or made cheese, yet they decided to try their hand at both.

They already had the land but needed to find the animals to start their herd. The couple ended up buying animals from disillusioned owners.