It was set up in 1983. The Setting up Act is dated on October 26th 1983.

All the founders were cattle farmers and dairy products manufacturers.

The Statutes were submitted to the I.M.A.C., in the Work Department of the Generalitat de Catalunya on February 1st 1984. They were passed by this organization according to the document written on February 28th 1984.

On April 23rd 1999, to mark the modification, some articles were submitted to the Direcció General de Relacions Laborals were they remained with effect on March 11th 1999. This resolution was published on the June 25th 1999 D.O.G.C. advertisement, number 297, page 8703.

Their objectives are defined in the 5th article of Title II, where it literally says : " It is substance of the Association, the representation, defense and promotion of the general professional interests common to all physical , legal or affiliated person.

In the 6th article of the same Title II, we find the following literally transcribed : "The Association is not lucrative, it is apolitical, voluntary and autonomous."

On March 25th 1987 there was a written claim for the exemption of the VAT, which was granted according the document of the Treasury in Barcelona, Dependència de Gestió Tributària, on June 15th 1987.

Up to May 24th 2001 the Association has 41 members, which means more than 50% of the whole farmhouse cheese producers in Catalonia.

There are members in the four Catalan provinces. Therefore, there are members in the following districts:

L'Alt Empordà, L'Alt Urgell, L'Anoia, El Bages, El Baix Empordà, El Baix Penedès, El Berguedà, La Cerdanya, La Conca de Barberà, El Garraf, La Garrotxa, El Maresme, El Montsià, La Noguera, Osona, El Pallars Sobirà, La Ribera d'Ebre, El Ripollès, El Segrià, El Vallès Occidental and El Vallès Oriental.

A wide range of products are manufactured with raw or pasteurized goat, cow and sheep milk. Therefore we have:

• Green cheese, reheated and curdled mató (soft white cheese)
• Milky curds with aromatic herb, spices and other food products' flavor
• Cured cheeses: moldy skin, washed skin, ash skin, pressed paste, soft pastes, blue cheeses, tupí and kept in oil

40,000 liters of milk a day are produced, that is to say 14,400,000 liters of milk a year.

Aims: Among others, gather all Catalan farmhouse cheese producers in order to defend their interests in a better way.

Regarding activities, a great variety of courses have been organized, both of improvement and introduction to the manufacture of their dairy products. There are also courses and conferences about topics such as health in cheese factories, personal hygiene and removal of manufacture residues, among others.

A traditional mold made of wood and ceramic and still used in the Old Catalonia districts has been recovered. It has been made with plastic material suitable for food uses and which allows the mechanization of most of the manufacturing operations, and facilitates its cleaning and satisfaction. FORMATGE D'ATURA ( shepherd's cheese ) is made with goat's, cow's and sheep's milk. It has been properly defined and registered in the Registre de Patents i Marques.