Rumiano Cheese

Rating
Products	Cheese
Website	https://rumianocheese.com/
Market Area	West
Total Score	690

They write: “It all began nearly a century ago when three brothers from Italy, Richard, Fred and John Rumiano, bought a dairy in Willows, California and started making cheese and butter.

Throughout the 1920s and 30s, Rumiano Cheese Company began to grow, purchasing several cheese factories in California and Oregon. The company has sold all but two factories and currently manufactures all of its cheese in Crescent City, CA, receiving its? milk supply from independent third & fourth generation dairy farmers from nearby Humboldt and Del Norte counties. All Rumiano cheese is produced certified Kosher from fresh clean milk with sea salt, non-animal enzymes, and without artificial hormones, pesticides or herbicides. Rumiano produces several all-natural and organic award winning cheese varieties including both organic and conventional, Cheddar, Calico, Pepper Jack, Mediterranean Jack and of course the world famous Dry Monterey Jack, among many others. Our organic cheese is American Humane Certified and was the first Non-GMO Project Verified cheese in the World. Rumiano Cheese Company products are available for retail sale at select natural foods stores, grocery chains, and are served at fine restaurants internationally.

Rubric	Points	Comments and Notes
TOTAL (possible score is 1100 (plus extra credit))	690	4-Cow Rating | Excellent
Transparency and Disclosure	100	Excellent transparency
Brands that rate highest have a close relationship to their milk suppliers. Those that buy milk from industrial or unknown organic suppliers rate lowest. Milk Supply and Ownership Structure	50	Sources organic milk primarily from dedicated farms on the West Coast and contracts out for the rest of the supply
Brands that only produce organic products make the biggest investments — in time and money — in the organic systems that benefit us all. Commitment to Organic Label	100	Very committed to organic label
Pasture management refers to how outdoor areas are managed, with top-rated brands utilizing multiple strategies to maintain high quality pasture, providing environmental and animal welfare benefits. Pasture Management	50	Excellent pasture management exceeding minimum standards
The grass-fed percentage category reflects diet, with top-rated brands far exceeding the minimum requirements laid out in the organic pasture rule. Grass Fed Percentage	50	Suppliers exceed 50% DMI with long grazing seasons
This category focuses on the sourcing of feed, supplements, and any added ingredients in the diet. The category also accounts for brands that source organic dairy from other operations. Top-rated brands produce all feed on farm or buy inputs locally. Supplemental Feed and Ingredients	75	Most feed produced locally to West Coast and confirmed domestic
Industry standard is to immediately remove calves from their mothers and individually house them. High scores in this area show that brand suppliers use group housing or otherwise promote calf socialization. Calves	25	Single calf hutches (standard in industry)
High scoring brands milk only once or twice per day, allowing maximum time for cows to be outside exhibiting natural behaviors. Times Milked Per Day	100	2x daily
Lower cull and death rates receive more points (with some exceptions), as it is one indicator of high animal welfare. Deaths & Culls	25	Cull rate above 10% for supplier farms but death rate is very low
Brands that closely monitor environmental factors, including soil and water quality, native species, and wildlife, receive the most points. Brands with specific policies and programs to boost environmental sustainability also receive high points. Environmental Impacts and Stewardship	75	Excellent attention to environmental sustainability
Brands with specific policies and practices to support animal welfare score best. Brands may lose points in this category if they have a history of animal welfare concerns. Animal Welfare	40	Strong attention to animal welfare
This category is non-scoring and provided for information. Organic Certifier (Informational)		California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Oregon Tilth, and Organic Certifiers
Third-party labels carried by individual brands or product lines are listed here for more information. These are not scored, but some third-party labels may receive extra credit. Add On Labels (Informational)		Non-GMO Project, American Humane Certifiec (AHC)
Herd size refers to the number of adult cows in the milking herd. The general denotation for herd size (large, medium, and small) is based on the legal definition of “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation”. Herd Size(s) (Informational)		Small, medium, and large
Brands may receive extra credit for practices and polices not reflected in the scorecard (see notes for details). Extra Credit	0	Environmental policies and practices push the dairy industry as a whole toward better standards, including tracking their own sustainability and doing “continuous improvement” (see the Straus website for details).
The adjustment section is where any notes and adjustments to the score are indicated, such as penalties for non-compliances. Adjustments & Notes	0	None