Welcome to the world of Annabella Buffalo Cheeses.

Among the streams and verdant green grasslands of Colombia, Annabella Buffalo Mozzarella discovers its subtle, creamy flavor. A new delicacy in the United States, Annabella rivals even the most famous buffalo mozzarellas of Italy in terms of freshness, flavor, tenderness and aroma. The difference begins with how the buffaloes are raised. Unlike confined, grain-fed water buffalo herds being raised for milk, these buffaloes are raised entirely on native grasses and are free to roam. So they produce richer, better tasting milk. And when you start with better milk, the result is better cheese.

Our Delectable Cheeses

Annabella is a handcrafted, fresh cheese that boasts a slightly salty, subtly tangy flavor, and tender texture with a delicate aroma. We use only water buffalo milk, which is prized in cheesemaking for having a higher fat content than cow milk. Annabella is carefully produced by skilled cheesemakers dedicated to making cheese in the traditional way by spinning, then cutting the cheese curds.

We offer it to you in three sizes:

• Ovoline - Large buffalo mozzarella balls that are traditionally sliced for Caprese Salad or used as a topping for pizza or lasagna.
• Bocconcini - Medium-sized buffalo mozzarella balls that can be sliced and combined with grilled vegetables and mixed salad greens.
• Ciliegine - Bite-sized buffalo mozzarella delicacies that are perfect for appetizers and fresh salads.

Visit our recipe section for exciting new ideas about cooking with Annabella Buffalo Mozzarella.

Freshness First

Because of its delicate nature, buffalo mozzarella always tastes best when it is fresh. Annabella is preserved in brine and packaged in a special vacuum-packed plastic bag to maintain its original flavor, aroma and freshness.

Our proximity to the U.S. market allows us to deliver Annabella Buffalo Mozzarella to the U.S. within days of its creation by our skilled cheesemakers. Annabella arrives daily via a three-hour refrigerated flight from Colombia to Miami, where it is immediately sent onward by refrigerated trucks to your markets and your table.

About Us

Annabella was created by the Salazar family's Farm & Fields, now in its third generation as producers of top-quality, sustainable coffee, herbs, flowers and fresh produce. Farm & Fields started out as a small coffee business, then expanded into fresh cut flowers, herbs and, most recently, fresh produce. As a family business, we take extra care in everything we do -- not because we have to – but because our name is on every product.

We work with our grower partners in Colombia and Ecuador, whom we consider to be part of our family, to produce the highest quality products for the U.S. market. Our grower partners take advantage of Farm & Fields' social programs for education, health care, and housing. We use organic growing methods without chemical inputs, both to protect the health of our workers and nurture the environment we want to preserve for our next generations.

Find out more about Farm & Fields here. www.farmandfields.com

About Us | Andres Salazar | Cheesemakers

Andres Salazar

Andres represents the third generation of Salazars in the Farm & Fields family. He literally grew up in agriculture, assisting his father and learning his craft in the farm business from a very young age. Andres left Colombia when he was 14 and finished high school in the U.S., then attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he studied International Business and Economics. He has managed the company's distribution operations in Miami since 2001, and now divides his time between the family's farms in Colombia and Equador, Miami and Boulder, where he maintains his primary U.S. residence.

About Us | Andres Salazar | Cheesemakers

Cheesemakers

Cheese has been produced in various forms and flavors around the world for thousands of years. Buffalo mozzarella in particular has a long and storied history. Out of respect for this legacy, Farm & Fields engaged cheese artisans from Italy's Campania region to train its cheesemakers in the art of making fine buffalo mozzarella in the Italian tradition. These advisors are involved in our day-to-day operations to ensure high quality standards and consistency in our cheesemaking operations.

About Us | Andres Salazar | Cheesemakers

The World's Only Free-Range, Grass-Fed Water Buffaloes

The farms boast the only 100 percent grass-fed water buffaloes in the world. These water buffaloes are never confined, are never fed grain and are allowed to graze freely on grass year-round. They are regularly moved to fresh pasture to prevent overgrazing and ensure an abundant food supply. This natural raising philosophy results in the authentic free-range milk from which we make fresh buffalo mozzarella.

The buffaloes are raised in an open environment because we place a high value on the humane treatment of animals -- a philosophy we hope our customers appreciate when they enjoy our products.

The Majestic Water Buffalo

The Majestic Water Buffalo

Water buffaloes are massive, powerful bovine animals with huge curled horns and can weigh more than 2,000 pounds. They have a long history as domestic animals and have been raised for milk and meat for more than 5,000 years on several continents. Their milk contains double the fat, but less than half the cholesterol, of cow milk, making it a highly prized ingredient for healthy buffalo mozzarella cheese and other products, such as yogurt.

We get this milk from an impressive herd of more than 3,000 free-range water buffaloes. The buffaloes like to graze with their clan on grass and forbs, but they are also very social animals and make many stops during their day to relax in a cooling mud bath in one of the many ponds and rivers on our farms. Water buffaloes are also highly vocal animals that communicate by snorts, grunts and occasional bellows. They are guided by a keen sense of hearing and smell, which helps make up for their limited eyesight.

Grass-Fed Water Buffaloes

Our Commitment to the Environment

Farm & Fields is certified by the Rainforest Alliance for conserving biodiversity and ensuring sustainable livelihoods and by GlobalG.A.P., the world's most widely implemented farm certification system. In 1999, we began transitioning our farms to certified organic agriculture.

Visit www.farmandfields.com for more information about our commitment to the environment.