Bellwether Farms Carmody Cheese

Family owned and operated, Bellwether Farms is located in Sonoma County, California, about an hour north of San Francisco, and a few miles from the Pacific Ocean. Carmody was inspired by the Callahan family's 1996 trip to Italy. There they had an opportunity to watch Gorgonzola being made near Milan. In one of the aging rooms there were small wheels of cheese on an out of the way shelf. The Callahan's tried a wheel and found it to be a very mild, creamy cheese with a great deal of fresh milk flavor. Although they never saw the cheese being made, they began to notice similar table cheeses wherever in Italy they bought cheese. They were marketed under a variety of names but meant for local consumption.

Back at Bellwether Farms, it occurred to the Callahan's that a cheese of this type might appeal to customers in the US as an alternative to the young Cheddars or Jack cheeses that dominated the market. Cheesemaker Liam Callahan began working on the cheese by using a pecorino recipe as a starting point and making changes in response to the flavors and texture of the cheese. Eventually he found a combination that brought the family back to the cheese they tasted in Milan. Carmody is meant to highlight the buttery flavors of Jersey milk. At that point Liam gave it a name with local meaning – Carmody is the road that runs adjacent to Bellwether Farm.

Gold Medal, Semi-hard Cheese, 2011 North American Jersey Cheese Awards.

Gold Medal, Unpressed Cheese, 2010 North American Jersey Cheese Awards.

Silver Medal, Unpressed Cheese, 2009 North American Jersey Cheese Awards.

Silver Medal, Semi-Hard Cheese, 2009 World Cheese Awards.

Bronze Medal, Semi-hard Cheese, 2006 World Cheese Awards, London.

• Made from pasteurized Jersey cow's milk.
• Photo depicts whole 3 lb. form of cheese.
• We cut and wrap this item by hand.