Nestled in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley, a short drive outside of Grants Pass, is The Rogue Creamery Dairy. I’ve visited the well-known retail and creamery portion of the Rogue Creamery in nearby Central Point numerous times. During this visit I went to the source, in this case, the cows, to see how the famous cheese is made.
Their blue cheese gained international acclaim and won numerous awards over the years. In 2019 they won the ultimate accolade. Their Rogue River Blue won the acclaimed title of Best Cheese in the World from the World Cheese Awards in Bergamo, Italy. It simply doesn’t get any better than that! Their many awards put The Rogue Creamery on the map but in actuality, they’ve been making cheese since the 1930’s when Tom Vella opened the creamery in the midst of the Great Depression.
The Organic Dairy
I spoke with the friendly staff and learned that the current location was a certified organic dairy under the previous owners. It had fallen into disrepair when Rogue Creamery purchased the dairy in 2011. It required a year to get up and running. Now fully operational and USDA certified organic the dairy operates adhering to three main goals: environmental health, animal welfare and social and economic equality. These principles set the creamery apart from a typical food producer.
The staff explained that all cheese at the dairy is certified organic. I may not be labeled as such if it includes additional ingredients which aren’t certified organic. They used the example of grape leaves from local vineyards. The blue cheese is wrapped in the leaves but if the grape leaves aren’t certified organic then the creamery won’t make the claim that the cheese is organic. A holistic approach which is taken with the cows to ensure that they are healthy and happy. They explained the voluntary milking system which allows the cows to decide for themselves when they want to be milked, unlike a typical dairy.
The Pasture
Anxious to see the facilities we walked over to the pasture where the cows graze on 68 acres of organic grass located on the banks of the Rogue River. The young cows start in the small pasture at 6 months old where they can be easily supervised. They eventually move to the main pasture as they mature.
The grass content changes with the seasons resulting in changes in the flavor of milk. This can’t be replicated anywhere in the world. No synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides are used here. The cows spend the cool mornings and late afternoons out in the pasture when the weather is comfortable. During the midday heat they move indoors.
The Barn, Milking Robots and Cow “Fitbits”
We visited in the middle of a hot summer day therefore we found the cows in the much cooler barn. The design integrates high ceilings and open sides which allow for the circulation of fresh air. This cool interior is where the cows take shelter from the hot sun. They are provided shade and brushes to scratch themselves.
Some of the cows are outfitted with an activity monitor as to ensure their wellness. In the barn, the cows eat, drink and use the self-milking “robots” named Charlie and Matilda. The tags on the cows tell the robots how much milk to expect based on when the cows were last milked. They learn this system within a couple of days. We watched a line of patient cows form in the holding area waiting to be milked. The milk is pumped in the overhead pipes to the milk house where it’s chilled, filtered and stored until it’s taken to the creamery. The milk house holds 1500 gallons (12,945 lbs) of milk which equals 1424 lbs of cheese (285 wheels of blue cheese) per tank. That’s a lot of cheese!
A Model Company: From the Cows to the Environment
The Rogue Creamery states its mission as being an artisan cheese company, with people dedicated to service, sustainability and the art and tradition of creating the world’s finest handmade cheese. As a result, when combined with their aforementioned commitment to quality and goals of environmental health, animal welfare and equality, they clearly take their business responsibility seriously.
As far as there environmental commitment. Firstly, The facility is solar powered and plans to be 100% solar by 2021. They are well on their way to this goal having already hit the milestone of being 45% solar in 2012. Secondly, they have the goal of zero waste by 2021 having already reduced their waste by 50% in 2008. Thirdly, The Rogue Creamery is a certified B Corporation meaning they meet specified sustainability and environmental standards. They aim to buy from and support the local community, buy socially responsible goods and provide fair labor. A unique perk for employees provides a free bike after workers commute 45 times round-trip per year by bike. In fact, they’ve been voted one of the 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon.
We end the tour at the farm stand and purchased some cheese. Chocolate Stout, Smokey Blue, and the shakable Blue Heaven. We also leave with some ice cream containing minimal ingredients; milk, eggs, and honey with no sugar.
The Rogue Creamery produces fabulous cheese and stands out as a model company. Having visited a large dairy in the past, and being dismayed by the entire experience this visit to the Rogue Creamery was refreshing. The award-winning quality of their cheese and the extra care they take, from the treatment of the cows to the happiness of their employees and stewardship of the environment, will keep me as a loyal returning customer.
