Beehive Cheese Company

Cheesemakers Pat Ford & Kari Welsh
 

Cheesemaking may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Utah – powder skiing, maybe.   Yet with memories of growing up with access to fresh milk and butter from a local creamery, brothers-in-law Tim Welsh and Pat Ford combined their creative talent and energy to start Beehive Cheese Company in 2005.

Located in northern Utah's high desert country, Beehive uses Jersey milk from a local dairy to make their aged cheeses. Wadeland South Dairy is situated on 350 nutrient-rich acres that feed thousands of migrating birds in addition to supporting lush alfalfa for the cows to graze on. Blessed with a source of great, hormone free milk, along with valuable guidance from Steve Larsen at the USU Western Dairy Center, Beehive’s founders dove into cheesemaking.

These guys are not afraid to venture out into new terrain and their cheese, Barely Buzzed, proves it.  Rubbed with crushed lavender buds and ground coffee from Colorado's Legacy Coffee Company (owned by Tim’s brothers), this full-bodied cheese with a nutty texture is aged on Utah Blue Spruce aging racks.  It took a blue ribbon at last year’s American Cheese Society Competition.

In addition to be able to swap their suits and briefcases for cheesemaking boots, Tim and Pat live within walking distance of their creamery.  Now that’s a successful life transition!

Summer Cheese Club Collection

Our summer cheese club collections each contain a fresh cheese from Cowgirl Creamery along with three  artisan cheeses.  If you thought about joining our Summer Cheese Club but you didn’t quite get to it, it’s not too late to order the June or July Club Collections.  Beehive Cheese Company’s Barely Buzzed is one of the cheeses featured in our June collection so it’s a great way to see what the buzz is all about. ORDER

25th Annual American Cheese Society Conference – Chicago, IL
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the American Cheese Society Conference. The conference is held each year and attracts a wide range of people who share a love of cheese: cheesemakers, retail/wholesale cheesemongers, chefs, educators and consumers. The growth of the conference over the past 25 years reflects the resurgence of small scale cheesemaking here in the U.S. The conference offers a wide range of educational seminars and an opportunity to meet cheesemakers. The Festival of Cheese, a highpoint of the annual conference , will feature a 1,100 cheeses displayed for tasting!

For additional conference details, please visit their website.

Farmers Markets
Cowgirl Creamery is selling our award-winning cheese at farmers markets in the Bay Area this summer.

Point Reyes Station
Saturday Mornings
June through October

Ferry Plaza  Market, San Francisco Saturday Mornings
Year-round

Marin Farmers Market , San Rafael Thursday and Sunday Mornings
June through August

Palo Alto
Saturday Mornings
June through August

Petaluma
Wednesday Evenings
June through September

Every Thursday, July – September, 11:30 am
Petaluma Creamery Tours
Since the February opening of our new creamery in Petaluma, things are humming along. So we decided that the time was right  to open up the creamery for weekly Thursday tours. The tours, about an hour in length, will include a guided tour and cheesemaking demonstration, followed by a tasting of Cowgirl Creamery cheeses.  And the best part?  Each adult tour participant will leave with a sampler bag of Cowgirl Creamery cheeses. The tour is not geared for children but they are welcome if accompanied by an adult.
Tour Fee: $30 for adults; $10 for children 17& under; free for little ones 5 & under
For more information and to sign up online, click here. Or make reservations by phone (866.433.7834).
Note: We will continue to offer Friday tours at our creamery in Point Reyes Station. For reservations, email Carol or call 415.663.9335.

August 10 - 12
Glorious Cheese
Blackberry Farm - Walland, Tennessee
Blackberry Farm has become a celebrated epicurean travel destination. Sue Conley and Peggy Smith will be joined by Kristian Holbrook, Cheesemaker at Blackberry Farm, and vintners Adam & Dianna Lee, Siduri Wines, to present Glorious Cheese. Part of the Blackberry Farm Food & Wine series, this program will teach you about the intricacies of cheesemaking and pairing cheese with Siduri Wines' Pinot Noir.
For further information, contact Kelley Clark 865.380.2271 or visit their website.  Download more information (PDF)

^{August 17 - 22}
Discovering Artisan Cheese with Cowgirl Creamery
Cavallo Point, Lodge at Golden Gate, Sausalito
As part of their inaugural Culinary Program Series, Cavallo point will be offering a 5-day program, Artisan Cheesemaking with Cowgirl Creamery. Cowgirl Creamery owners and founders, Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, will cover all aspects of artisan cheese; how it is made and aged, classifications of cheese, serving and pairing cheese.
To learn more about the program, visit their website.
 

Buy Cheese

Library of Cheese

About Cowgirl Creamery

American Cheese Society

Beehive Cheese Company

Blackberry Farm

Cavallo Point

Blackberry Farm photos courtesy of
Beall + Thomas Photography

Cavallo Point