a collage image of women who work at point reyes farmstead

Women's History Month 2021

A celebration all month long dedicated to the women who inspire us, our women employees, and fierce female cheese industry partners!

women leaders


women collage

shero
/ˈSHirō,ˈSHērō/
a woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding
achievements, or noble qualities; a heroine.

During Women's History Month, join us as we take a moment to acknowledge a group of business owners we admire beyond compare. 

We applaud these fantastically fierce females...
for their success,
for their mentorship,
for their leadership,
for their friendship.

These women are founders, farmers and makers.
They are innovators, trailblazers and ambassadors.

Without a doubt, these women (among many others, there are really too many to count) are largely responsible for how farmstead and artisan cheese is made, sold, and consumed in the US.   

Hats off to all the women in cheese and to these ladies, please know our gratitude is unending. 
xo, Jill, Lynn & Diana

We invite you to learn more --and taste their awesome cheese!
Allison Hooper & Adeline Druart, Vermont Creamery
Cindy Callahan, Bellwether Farms
Jennifer Bice, Redwood Hill Farm
Mary Keehn, Cypress Grove
Paula Lambert, Mozzarella Co.
Peg Smith, Maureen Cunee & Sue Conley, Cowgirl Creamery
Judy Schad, Capriole
Tamara Hicks, Tomales Farmstead
Marieke Pentermen, Marieke Gouda
Jessica Little, Sweet Grass Dairy

definition

 
 
In honoring Women's History Month we've used this space to highlight fierce and fabulous females who mentored and inspired us in cheese. This week we decided to bring it a little closer to home - to reflect a bit about two women who taught us to explore the world, to be curious and always ask questions, and to unabashedly believe in ourselves and the differences we can make. 

Meet our mom, Dean Mae Ferreira, and our Aunt, Jeanette Giacomini (our dad's sister).  It's no wonder they were best friends - they shared beliefs, interests and hobbies on every level that impacted how we were raised:  valuing education above all else, always putting family first, knowing that women can and should do anything they want and that while success looks different to everyone, it is happiness that matters most.  They taught us to love reading, to bake from scratch and to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies. --But perhaps the area where their influence had the greatest impact on us was in their love of food and travel, especially the two combined.  Getting on a plane for a good meal, discovering a new city through its food culture, understanding history and sense of place through food... their greatest memories were created around the world and at the table.
two women smiling
We've always been extremely close to Jeanette (Auntie Net), who never missed a graduation, a holiday or a family trip.  But when our mom passed away in 2012, she stepped in to fill the void like only she could.  Proud of her nieces, she continues to be our cheerleader, brand ambassador and travel partner.  Today we salute her, as well as the spirit of our mom she emulates.  They continue to be role models impacting our female leadership and of course, our love of eating across the world.

women inspired

The Women Behind the Cheese
To close out Women's History Month we're shining the spotlight on our absolutely phenomenal female employees. As a women-owned company we are proud to also be a predominately female operated company, with almost 60% women on our team.

Day in and day out, we are inspired by each and every one of our women employees.  Across the company we see the benefits of having strong female leaders and team members to offer their expertise, share innovative ideas, implement new and improved practices, teach by example, train with heart- and sometimes just lend an ear to support their colleagues in cheese.

We realize that often times women are given the short-end of the stick in business- questioned for doing too much or too little.  They are judged and doubted because demands at home "must"  infringe on their success at work.  Here we simply ignore that notion. Our women employees are empowered to make decisions, voice their opinions and be a part of the conversation -while still maintaining necessary focus on work/life balance. 

We wouldn't be the company we are today without the hard work, creativity, and perseverance of the women on our team. This month (heck, every month) we remain inspired and grateful.

We are strong because of our women employees.
We are proud of what we accomplish every day.
WE ARE WOMEN WITH PURPOSE.