Bellwether Farms Received 2019 Gold sofi Award for Whole Milk Basket Ricotta
Petaluma, CA, May 7, 2019 – Bellwether Farms’ Whole Milk Basket Ricotta earned the coveted Gold award in the competitive Cow Milk Cheese category at the 2019 sofi Awards. The Specialty Food Association’s sofi Awards have been recognizing excellence, creativity, and great taste in the specialty food industry since 1972. Sofi award winners were selected through a blind tasting process from 1,800 entries from around the country by a panel of industry experts.
“It is an amazing honor to be awarded this sofi.” said Bellwether Farms owner and cheesemaker, Liam Callahan. “Our team takes many steps to ensure this is a special ricotta, and we are thrilled with the recognition that it is the best.”
Bellwether Farms’ Whole Milk Basket Ricotta was also honored earlier this year with the esteemed Good Food Award at the 2019 Good Food Foundation awards ceremony. The distinguished flavor and texture of Bellwether Farms’ Whole Milk Basket Ricotta come from the high-caliber ingredients and traditional techniques. Using fresh, whole 100% Jersey cow milk from a neighboring farm, the whole milk is first cultured and then slowly heated in small kettles; developing the unique flavor and superior texture. The delicate curds are carefully hand-ladled into the draining baskets to preserve the quality of the product. The ricotta is then sold in the draining basket to protect the ricotta until it reaches the customer’s table.
In addition to their top-notch cheeses, Bellwether Farms is also America’s #1 producer of Sheep Milk Yogurt. The first sheep dairy west of the Mississippi, Bellwether Farms was founded by Cindy Callahan in 1986 with a flock of sheep needed to control the grass on their Sonoma land. Each cheese and yogurt is still made on the farm by Liam and his crew. Passionate about supporting organizations that provide hunger relief or offer food-education to their communities, the family team established the nonprofit Bellwether Farms Foundation in 2016; pledging one percent of their sales to strengthen the food system and seek opportunities to invest in communities where their products are sold.
Bellwether Farms offers a popular lineup of aged cheeses, such as Carmody, San Andreas, and Pepato. The creamery’s fresh and cultured products include top-selling Sheep Milk Yogurt, Organic Whole Milk Cow Yogurt, Crème Fraiche, Fromage Blanc, Crescenza, and of course, Whole Milk Basket Ricotta. Located on 35 acres in Sonoma County, Bellwether Farms is dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices, ethical animal husbandry, and crafting the highest quality dairy products possible.