Petaluma, California-based Bellwether Farms has won several awards from the American Cheese Society in its annual Judging & Competition Awards.
The new Fresh Sheep Cheese Log – Original earned a gold medal in the fresh rindless sheep’s milk cheese aged 0 to 30 days category, and the Fresh Sheep Cheese Log – Sonoma Herb earned a gold medal in the sheep cheese with flavor added, 100 percent sheep’s milk category.
Bellwether Farms’ Plain Sheep Milk Yogurt took a silver medal in the yogurts plain with no additional ingredients, made from sheep milks category. The company’s products were recognized by the judges for excellence amongst 1,387 products from 196 entering companies.
“We’re especially happy to be recognized for our newest product, the Fresh Sheep Cheese Logs,” said Liam Callahan, owner of Bellwether Farms.
“To win two gold medals with such fierce competition is truly an honor. We’re also really proud of our silver medal for our Sheep Milk Yogurt, a product that has really taken off for us in the last year or so. We know we have something special here at Bellwether Farms but to get recognition from the American Cheese Society is very rewarding and worth celebrating.”
Whole sheep milk, sourced from a small network of local sheep dairies, is the key to Bellwether Farms’ taste, texture and nutritional value for its Fresh Sheep Cheese Logs and Sheep Milk Yogurt.
With year-round access to open space, these sheep are raised without hormones and are fed an all-natural diet, including grass and alfalfa, to ensure high quality milk production. Because sheep milk’s protein is 100 percent A2 type, many people prefer sheep milk products since they may find them easier on digestion than cow’s milk cheese or yogurt.
Founded in 1986 in Sonoma County, family-owned and operated Bellwether Farms crafts dairy products using whole, full-fat sheep’s milk and cow’s milk.
With a commitment to traditional techniques, Bellwether Farms’ small-batch cheeses and yogurts are found in grocery stores nationwide and have won dozens of awards. One percent of Bellwether Farms’ sales go to organizations providing hunger relief or food-related education.
