Rumiano Cheese Company
| Rating |  |
| Farm/Brand Headquarters | Crescent City, CA |
| Products | Cheese |
| Website | rumianocheese.com |
| Market Area | Nationwide |
| Total Score | 1400 |
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.”
| Criteria | Points | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL (possible score is 1600 plus extra credit) | 1400 | 4-Cow Rating | Excellent |
Farmstead dairies earn the most points. Corporations that have a history of skirting the organic rules receive the fewest. Ownership structure | 80 | Family-owned business |
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Farms that produce 100% of their milk receive the most points. Milk from "open market" or known confinement dairies receive the fewest. Milk Supply | 90 | Own patrons |
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100% organic farms receive the most points. Split operations with conventional dairy on the same property receive the fewest. Organic Production | 80 | Brand markets conventional and organic (with separate operations) |
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Farms that completed the survey in detail received the most points.
Disclosure of Information for Verification | 100 | Full disclosure |
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Points determined by integrity of the brand’s organic certifier. Organic Certification | 85 | Global Culture Organic Certifier; California Certified Organic Farmers; Organic Certifiers |
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Animal Welfare Approved and Biodynamic certifications receive the most bonus points. Producers are not penalized for not having additional certifications beyond organic. Other Labels/Standards | 40 | American Humane third party certification |
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100% grass-fed with independent verification of standards Grass-fed | 50 | Markets as grass fed; exceeds USDA percent intake requirements |
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No points are given for this but the information may be useful to certain consumers looking to avoid soy. Soy Free Ration? | No | |
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Sliding scale based on policies, enforcement, acreage/cow, days/year on pasture, and permissible exemption. Pasture | 80 | Legitimate pasture access |
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One time/day receives the most points. Two times per day is standard. Times Milked | 90 | Two times a day (standard protocol on legitimate organic dairies) |
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Lower cull rate scores better, with under 10% receiving the most points. Cull/death Rate | 100 | Very low cull rate |
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Farms with closed herds receive the most points. Farms that sell organic calves and buy conventional replacements receive the fewest. Replacements | 75 | Outside animals purchased occasionally from nearby farms |
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Standard practice is removing calves shortly after birth, with extra points given for unique ways of managing calves
Calves | 75 | Removed shortly after birth (standard practice) |
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Farms that prohibit antibiotics receive the most points. Farms that allow young stock to receive antibiotics (under one year), receive the fewest.
Antibiotic Use | 75 | Cows may be brought back into organic production after antibiotic use |
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No hormones is the standard, however some farms do use oxytocin for therapeutic purposes. Hormone Usage | 100 | No hormones used |
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Farmstead dairies (owner lives on-site) receive the most points. Fewer points are given as oversight declines. Farm Support | 80 | Representatives visit farms regularly |
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All ingredients sourced from inside the organization or on the farm receives the highest points. Ingredients from confinement factory farms and/or imported ingredients receive the fewest. Procurement of Ingredients | 100 | No outside ingredients used |
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Various levels of extra credit given for 1) providing full organic systems plan, 2) providing details on all farms (multi-farm brands, details on largest five required), and 3) sourcing feed on-farm or domestically. Extra Credit | 100 | Very transparent with contact info. With respect to the concern of fraudulent grain imports, this dairy gets all of their feed from “open source” certified organic feed but were transparent enough to share that detail with us. |
