Special Cheeses Now on Sale for Rainbow Grocery’s 50th Anniversary

By Gordon Edgar–

In honor of our 50th Anniversary, we have some of our most special cheeses on sale all month, or until we run out! Rainbow Grocery Co-op Select Cheddar, for example, is a raw milk, three-year-aged cheese we buy from Red Barn Family Farms in Wisconsin. Why is it so special? Red Barn only uses milk bought from small-scale dairy farmers who are humane-certified. This cheddar clicks all our cheese boxes: big, sharp, fruity, and made with unpasteurized milk using some of the best dairy processes possible.

Red Barn was founded by a pair of veterinarians who wanted to build a company that supports a dying breed: the small family farmer. In addition to requiring a limited herd-size and humane certification, Red Barn also requires that owners actually work at their farms. That’s because, in part, the founders had a vision to support traditional dairy farmers, and not hobbyists or people needing a tax write-off.

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We always carry a few of their cheeses. Right now, in addition to the Rainbow Special Select, we have two others. The red-wax-covered five-year Heritage Weis was clothbound before the addition of wax. What this means to the cheese eater is that the cheese gets a big sharp flavor but also retains enough moisture to not crumble to pieces when you cut it. It’s my favorite cheddar for under $20/lb.

For a short time, we also have the Red Barn nine-year-aged Cheddar. This is amazingly complex—sharp, salty, earthy, fruity—so there is a lot going on here and, considering the age, it is at a great price while it lasts.

Come down and check these out while they are here. And don’t forget to come to our block party on Sunday August 17, from 12–6 pm!

Rainbow Special Select 3-Year-Aged Cheddar
$14.99/lb. (regularly $24.89/lb.)

Red Barn Heritage Weis 5-Year-Aged Cheddar
$16.99/lb. (regularly $19.99/lb.)

Red Barn 9-Year-Aged Cheddar
$22.99/lb. (only $80 lbs. available!)

Gordon Edgar loves cheese and worker co-ops and has been combining these infatuations as the cheese buyer for Rainbow Grocery Cooperative since 1994. He serves on the American Cheese Society Judging and Competition Committee and is a member of the Guilde Internationale des Fromagers. Edgar has written two books on cheese—”Cheesemonger” (2010) and “Cheddar” (2015)—and lives in San Francisco with his adorable white mini schnauzer named Fillmore Grumble. He writes about grief, and sometimes cheese, at https://bit.ly/42IwYf0

Over the Rainbow Cheese Counter
Published on August 14, 2025