Rogue Creamery Blues: Smokey, Bluehorn and Blue Heaven

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Only two days left to enter to win these blue cheeses from Rogue Creamery… and the Rogue Creamery Cheddars.

As mentioned before, I have known David Gremmels since the beginning of my cheesemongering career. He is one of the kindest and most caring people I know. No matter the path, he walks the walk everyday. The first time I met David was in late 2008 at a DPI cheese tasting in Portland, Oregon for local cheesemongers. It was my first cheese tasting and I was over the moon. One of the cheese makers  who spoke was David whose passion further fueled my love of cheese.

All of the blues offered in this giveaway have been reviewed in the past here at the website, including the 2019 World Cheese Awards Grand Champion, Rogue River Blue. You can check out my thoughts here: Smokey Blue, Bluehorn, Blue Heaven and Rogue River Blue. All of these cheeses are available in fine cheese shops nationwide, although due to being seasonal and its popularity, you may have trouble finding Rogue River Blue. You can also buy online at Rogue Creamery and a selection of Rogue Creamery cheeses are available at my amazon influencer storefront.

One of the things that has always impressed me about Rogue Creamery, under the leadership of David, is its stewardship of their employees, their cows and their land. In 2011 I was part of a group of cheesemonger invited to Rogue Creamery for two days of what Allison Hooper affectionately called “getting rogued”. While there we learned that the Creamery incentivized the employees to ride their bikes to work. As I recall, if they rode a bike to work several days a week for an extended period, Rogue would buy them a new bike and there might have been other rewards. Not only was it good for the environment but it was healthy which was better for the employees. (See below for how this “perk” has evolved.)

From the Rogue website:

At The Dairy Farm

The Rogue Creamery Dairy Farm serves as a model for sustainability in dairy – providing a happy, stress-free life for our cows, while also improving the wellbeing of both the land itself and the people who depend on it.

• Organic Practices build soil health, encourage native plant growth, build biodiversity, and aid in carbon sequestration.
• Solar Panels offset energy use.
• Our Dairy waste repurposing system separates solid from liquid waste and converts both into usable byproducts. Solid, undigested plant matter is cured and processed into bedding that we use in the stalls of the Cow Palace. We also sell it by the truckload to local farmers for use as a soil amendment. Liquid waste is used as fertilizer in our pastures.

Renewable Energy

• We have solar panel systems at both our Cheesemaking facility in Central Point, OR and  our Dairy Farm in Grants Pass, OR. We currently produce between 22-30% of our total annual energy needs.
• We offer electric car charging stations on-site at both the Rogue Creamery Dairy Farm and the Rogue Creamery Offices/Cold Storage Facility.
• Our company vehicle is an electric car!

Pedal Power Program

Save 10% in-store at the Cheese Shop and Farm Stand if you ride your bicycle there!

Through our Nellie Green Pedal Power Program, Rogue Creamery employees are given a monthly bonus for using more sustainable forms of transportation to travel to and from work. This includes biking, driving cars that get upwards of 50mpg, carpooling, and using public transportation. Those enrolled in the Program commit to commuting sustainably for a minimum of 45 round trips during a 1-year period.

We also offer employees the option to receive a Rogue Creamery bicycle when they sign the Pedal Power Pledge, rather than a monthly bonus. If they fulfill their pledge after one year, the bicycle is theirs to keep.

In 2019, Rogue Creamery employees traveled 11,838 miles using more sustainable forms of transportation!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

At Rogue Creamery, we are committed to improving our impact on the planet by reducing our waste. We build this consideration into every decision we make; for example, we operate a robust recycling program, and prefer to partner with vendors with similar commitments to sustainability. We also have repurposing programs in place for whey, vehicles, equipment, fencing, and more.

Another facet of giving – Chelsea Troutman ACS CCP, worked at Rogue Creamery and left to work with the Peace Corps in Ghana. I am sure this decision was a direct result of how Rogue Creamery encouraged its employees to “give back”.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In addition to being a member of the Internationale Guilde des Fromagers (Jura and Garde) and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.

Follow me on:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•