Recent Comments

    Archives

    California’s Oldest Family-Owned Cheese Company

    The gay-owned and operated Foggy Bottoms Boys farm is one of several small farms that supplies organic milk to the Rumiano Cheese Company, which is California’s oldest family-owned cheese company. Before discovering the Foggy Bottoms Boys, members of our San Francisco Bay Times team knew about Rumiano—seeing and buying it from time to time at popular local stores such as the Rainbow Grocery, Safeway, Nob Hill Foods, and more—but did not really think about how it is made.

    The gay-owned and operated Foggy Bottoms Boys farm is one of several small farms that supplies organic milk to the Rumiano Cheese Company, which is California’s oldest family-owned cheese company. Before discovering the Foggy Bottoms Boys, members of our San Francisco Bay Times team knew about Rumiano—seeing and buying it from time to time at popular local stores such as the Rainbow Grocery, Safeway, Nob Hill Foods, and more—but did not really think about how it is made.

    It was interesting to learn, for example, that all the dairies providing milk to Rumiano are within a 100-mile radius, thereby reducing the carbon dioxide output from milk trucks and limiting the use of fossil fuels. Rumiano’s entire organic cheese line, organic butter, and organic whey protein were the first in the world to achieve Non-GMO Project Verification!

    Rumiano additionally goes the extra mile for grass-fed milk production. The mild Northwestern coast of California has prime weather for grazing and pasture time. Year-round access to pastures and naturally growing coastal grasses are imperative to the company’s definition of grass-fed feeding. Open pasture time and natural grazing allow the cows to roam freely and make high-quality milk. Haylage and silage are used for feed when the weather is too wet and cold for pasture time, which is seldom. The grass-feeding methodology benefits the animals and consumers by helping produce healthy and humane dairy products.

    Grass-fed and pasture-raised cows allowed to move freely and eat a natural diversified diet are much healthier, but farmers note that the cows seem much happier, too. Small-scale farmers often name their cows and recognize that they are social beings who are happiest when they have room to roam and socialize with others in their herd, which in the end produces a much healthier end product.

    Rumiano and others in this section do not advertise with the Bay Times—we wish they did!—but we are proud to promote companies and small farms and businesses like this that produce very high quality products and are committed to the health of both the planet and future generations.

    It was interesting to learn, for example, that all the dairies providing milk to Rumiano are within a 100-mile radius, thereby reducing the carbon dioxide output from milk trucks and limiting the use of fossil fuels. Rumiano’s entire organic cheese line, organic butter, and organic whey protein were the first in the world to achieve Non-GMO Project Verification!

    Rumiano additionally goes the extra mile for grass-fed milk production. The mild Northwestern coast of California has prime weather for grazing and pasture time. Year-round access to pastures and naturally growing coastal grasses are imperative to the company’s definition of grass-fed feeding. Open pasture time and natural grazing allow the cows to roam freely and make high-quality milk. Haylage and silage are used for feed when the weather is too wet and cold for pasture time, which is seldom. The grass-feeding methodology benefits the animals and consumers by helping produce healthy and humane dairy products.

    Grass-fed and pasture-raised cows allowed to move freely and eat a natural diversified diet are much healthier, but farmers note that the cows seem much happier, too. Small-scale farmers often name their cows and recognize that they are social beings who are happiest when they have room to roam and socialize with others in their herd, which in the end produces a much healthier end product.

    Rumiano and others in this section do not advertise with the Bay Times—we wish they did!—but we are proud to promote companies and small farms and businesses like this that produce very high quality products and are committed to the health of both the planet and future generations.

    https://rumianocheese.com/

    Published on November 17, 2022