---
title: "He left Italy for sheep farming, turning a family tradition into a business"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/89100/he-left-italy-for-sheep-farming-turning-a-family-tradition-into-a-business
published: 2026-11-01T09:00:00Z
language: en
author: "Evelina Curca"
section: "Economic"
source: moldova1.md
---

# He left Italy for sheep farming, turning a family tradition into a business

> After years of working abroad, he returned home to embrace a traditional trade passed down through generations. This is the story of Nicolae Strogoteanu, from the village of Gradiște in Cimișlia district, who came back from Italy to sheep farming and turned his passion into a thriving business.

[Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/EFOaiPGEg_8)

After years of working abroad, he returned home to embrace a traditional trade passed down through generations. This is the story of Nicolae Strogoteanu, from the village of Gradiște in Cimișlia district, who came back from Italy to sheep farming and turned his passion into a thriving business.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/6d92be37-d103-4b93-b8ab-0f6aba731b04.jpg)

After many years of working abroad, he returned home and decided to resume a trade passed down through generations. This is the story of Nicolae Strogoteanu, from the village of Gradiște, Cimișlia district, who—following his work experience in Italy—returned to sheep farming and turned this passion into a business.

Starting in 2023, he expanded his farm, introduced a new breed of sheep, and secured funding for entrepreneurs. With support from European projects, he has managed to carry on his family tradition.

Before leaving for Italy, he had already acquired his first seven ewes of the Assaf breed—developed in Israel and also found in countries like Spain and Bulgaria. The animals were brought to his farm through the ODA 1+1 program, which provided him with 250,000 lei in financial support.

"We’ve been engaged in this activity since 2023, though I’ve been around sheep since I was a child. Before I left for Italy, I purchased seven ewes of this breed locally. I saw they were productive—and I liked them—so I decided to expand. I also learned about the ODA 1+1 program—the idea being that you go abroad and then return. That was the first step. At that time, we bought some lambs of this breed, a tractor, a hay rake, and a shredder," the farmer explains.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/74621441-198c-4e42-9780-07e4e5286560.jpg)

Over time, Nicolae has accessed several support programs designed for entrepreneurs and farmers, including those offered by the FAO and IFAD. With their help, he built barns and acquired specialised equipment to develop his farm.

"This is a six-station milking machine—we currently use three of the stations—which was also provided through an FAO project. In exchange, we simply hosted some field training sessions," says Nicolae Strogoteanu.

Currently, the farm has 80 sheep, and Nicolae uses their milk to produce artisanal cheese, which he sells on the local market. He aims to reach a flock of 100 sheep, though he would like to expand the farm even further. However, certain challenges constrain his plans.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/ed5580d6-55db-4069-b122-a255686e8f40.jpg)

"Initially, when we started, we intended to raise 300–500 [sheep], but now I think 100, maybe 150 at most. There’s the issue of finding workers, and the market isn't that large—in fact, it’s shrinking. For instance, as a country, we don’t export any cheese products at all. I don’t foresee any significant growth over the next two to three years," the farmer says.

Nicolae Strogoteanu explains that he and his wife handle 90 percent of the work themselves—as it is a family business—while hiring day laborers for the rest. Beyond their impressive milk yield, Assaf sheep are also notable for their meat-production qualities, showing an average daily weight gain of about 400 grams, with lambs reaching 28–35 kilograms in 90 days.

![](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/d1fbed90-9efe-48ec-9657-6d69ef8fdf1c.jpg)