Monforte in the News

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IN THE NEWS

Monforte Dairy Gets Edgy with Outdoor Art
June 13 , 2010: Monforte Dairy hosted Hip Hop Day, inviting artists from Under the Radar – a social enterprise providing grassroots art and design solution based out of the Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre in Toronto – to paint a graffiti-style mural on the western wall of the dairy.

PHOTOS TO COME>

Monforte Dairy Celebrates its Community with a Hootenanny
April 25 , 2010: We threw the party to end all parties – the Hootenanny – to thank and celebrate everyone who so generously helped us raise the money to build a dairy of our own through our CSA subscription program. Before all the hoopla, there were tours of the yet-to-be-built diary and the new storefront. These photographs are by Stratford-based photographer, Terry Manzo.

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Royals at Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
November 6 , 2009: On a recent royal tour of Toronto, HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall taste Monforte cheese.

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Potluck Pig Roast
July 12, 2009: At Monforte, we thought it fitting to celebrate our new location (not to mention take advantage of a fabulously large and empty space) with a Potluck Pig Roast for our CSA subscribers. More than 200 of our cheese-loving community arrived at 49 Griffith Road on July 12th bearing salads and side dishes, desserts and beverages, to take a look before construction begins.

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Monforte Dairy has a new home!
June 25, 2009: Monforte has a new location for the dairy at 49 Griffith Road, Stratford. The lease is signed and we’re moving in July 1. We’ll have our office there, a storefront, and a view into the dairy itself. And room to expand in the coming years.

Starting July 1st, we’ll have set hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. As soon as we’re able, we’ll start selling cheese. Please drop in for a look around and watch Monforte Dairy being constructed. Our official opening is still January 2010 with cheesemaking beginning when the milk flows. Fresh cheese should be available by March with aged cheeses to follow.

More than ever we need your involvement in our CSA program. If you’ve already purchased as CSA: thank you! If you’ve been waiting for a secure home for Monforte before you buy in – this is it. Please consider purchasing a CSA subscription today. And please spread the word.

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Mozzarella on the Hoof
June 15, 2009: We recently visited Heath Taylor at Purple Hill farm who, along with his father George, looks after the water buffalo herd which will supply Monforte with milk for fresh mozzarella, yogurt and blue cheese. Ruth got to know George when he called her asking if she was the right person to whom he should sell his milk. When Ruth said she was the niece of Jack Adams who still milks 110 girls at the age of 92, George decided to sell Ruth his milk. George now has 15 cows from stock on Vancouver Island, one of the first water buffalo herds in Canada. Many of his cows have names: there's Caroline, Josephine and Natalie. If you rub Caroline's nose, she will roll over in the hopes you'll rub her belly – a daunting display in a 2,500 lb animal.

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It’s a Boy!
May 29, 2009: Ruby Sue, Ruth’s Clydesdale horse, has given birth. The foal has been dubbed Sir Lancelot (Lance). Mom and baby are doing great.

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Monforte Town Hall A Big Success
May 17, 2009: Thanks to all who attended our first Town Hall. It was wonderful for us to meet so many people interested in Monforte Renaissance 2010. We had close to 150 in attendance, exceeding all our expectations. It’s clear there’s huge support not only for what Monforte is trying to achieve in building a dairy but also for supporting sustainable farming, fair pricing and good food.

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It’s official – Monforte Renaissance 2010 has been launched.
February 18, 2009: At a beautiful dinner at Jamie Kennedy’s Gilead Café in Toronto, more than 20 people from the media came to hear Monforte’s story – our hopes and dreams and plans. We hope they’ll type fast and spread the word. Ruth, Michael Hays (the money guy) and Brendan Howley (the ideas) all said a few words. Thanks to everyone who attended for your interest and support in Monforte Renaissance 2010.

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ARTICLES

Cheese Shop Goes Edgy with Hip Art
by Laura Cudworth, The Beacon Herald, June 15, 2010
“After this weekend Monforte Dairy won’t be able to fly under the radar. A group of graffiti artists from Toronto called Under the Radar spray-painted a mural on one side of the building and on a silo at the back... ” FULL STORY>

Monforte Dairy Hootenanny
by Joshna Maharah, Good Food Revolution, April 29, 2010
“When I pulled into the parking lot of the Festival Theatre in Stratford last Sunday morning, there was a lamb spinning on a spit, two caja chinas with beautiful white coats, and a large smoker and three girls waiting patiently at attention... ” FULL STORY>

Monforte Hootenanny
Seasonal Ontario Food, April 27, 2010
“On Sunday we drove down to Stratfrod for a significant milestone in the progress of Monforte Dairy. This was the long-awaited hootenanny to celebrate the completion of the factory and the recommencement of cheesemaking... ” FULL STORY>

Hootin’ and feastin’ with Monforte’s Ruth Klahsen
CheeseLover.ca, April 25, 2010
“Ruth Klahsen sure knows how to throw a party. This afternoon, more than 800 of her closest friends showed up – and hardly anyone knew it was Ruth’s 53rd birthday... ” FULL STORY>

New Artisan Cheese Production in Stratford
Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs, April 23, 2010
“Monforte Dairy Company Ltd. will retrofit its existing facility to increase current production and introduce new cheese products not made anywhere else in Canada... ” FULL STORY>

I was humbled by another story.
blogmyspace.com/chungwong123, November 2009
“By a woman. By a farmer from the country. By someone ditched by her husband. By someone ditched by her business partner, who left behind $167,000 in spoiled product... ” FULL STORY (You will need to scroll down through blog to November entry.) >

The Top 10 Toronto Foodies to Follow on Twitter
blogTO.com, January 1, 2010
“I definitely have a soft spot for cheese, with particular fondness for the Canadian variety. With an innovative CSA-inspired program for building a brand new cheesemaking facility in Stratford... ” FULL STORY>

Pull together a party platter and you’re good to go
by Cynthia David, Toronto Star, December 16, 2009
“Why not sit down with your guests this year and enjoy the holidays for a change? It’s as easy as 1-2-3. First, pick up excellent cured or dried meats (thinly sliced), a few great Canadian cheeses and locally produced chocolates... ” FULL STORY>

Toscano: November Cheese of the Month
aboutcheese.ca, November 2009
“Monforte’s Toscano is aboutcheese.ca’s first cheese of the month because we believe that this is a cheese and a cheese company that really deserve a shout out... ” FULL STORY>

Monforte Toscano Cheese
by Sue Riedl, The Globe and Mail, November 18, 2009
“Ruth Klahsen is back – and ready to grab the cow by the teat. Construction on the Ontario cheesemaker’s new dairy has started, and she plans to churn out curd in time for the 2010 spring milking... ” FULL STORY>

Royals End Ontario Tour
by Jenny Yuen, Sun Media
“The son of the owner of Stratford’s Monforte Dairy said he was taken aback when the Prince of Wales asked for a sample square of sheeps milk cheese while the esteemed pair made their rounds at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair... ” FULL STORY>

Revolutionary Ruth: How Monforte is Changing the Game
by Malcolm Jolley, Good Food Revelation
“It costs money to make good food, and the higher prices craft producers charge for their products reflect the higher costs they pay for ingredients, labour and whatever else. Ruth Klahsen’s old landlords didn’t seem to understand that... ” FULL STORY>

Invest now, get paid in cheese later
by Hollie Shaw, Financial Post, October 13, 2009
“Ruth Klahsen found a novel solution to get the capital to build Monforte Dairy; she has raised about $250,000 from 525 subscribers for her cheese.” FULL STORY>

Pan-fried halloumi on green with apple chutney
by Jennifer Bain, Toronto Star, September 17, 2009
“Jeff Crump created this restaurant-worthy dish for Earth to Table to showcase Ontario apples and halloumi from Ontario’s Monforte Dairy.” FULL STORY>

Makin’ Cheddar Better
by Sue Riedl, The Globe and Mail, July 15, 2009
“You would never hear of a liquor store employee uncorking a vintner’s chardonnay and pouring it into an oak barrel for further aging. With wine there is little opportunity to play with a product that has been bottled and sealed. Yet, this kind of manipulation is possible with a wheel of cheese.” FULL STORY>

Celebratory Pig Roast at Monforte Dairy’s New Home
by Ferdzy, Seasonal Ontario Food, July 14, 2009
“On Sunday afternoon we went to Stratford to see Monforte Dairy's new site. It wasn't the new site I thought it was; it was a new new site. The previous site fell through at the last moment, but fortunately this one was available. We arrived a little late; the parking lot was already very full and a game of croquet was being played on the front lawn.” FULL STORY>

Monforte opens doors next week
by Brian Shypula, The Beacon Herald, June 27, 2009
“Monforte Dairy Company Ltd. is moving forward quickly to open a dairy and cheese plant in Stratford by January 2010, although the plan has changed markedly in the last month. The company says it will begin moving into 49 Griffith Rd. on July 1, starting with an office and as soon as possible afterward, a store to sell Monforte's artisinal cheeses hand-made from sheep and goat milk by founder Ruth Klahsen of Stratford.” FULL STORY>

Global Consumers Want Greener Food Choices
by Sarah B. Hood, Toronto Tasting Notes, June 26, 2009
“For people already in the vanguard of this trend, artisanal cheesemaker Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy is leading the charge. She’s in the process of relocating her operations to 49 Griffith Road in Stratford, where she hopes to base her sustainable micro-producer/dairy, with an apprenticeship program and new products.” FULL STORY>

My Uncle’s Cheese Factory
by Larry Krotz, Harrowsmith, June, 2009
Meeting Ruth Klahsen at a farmers’ market last year, had Larry Krotz reminiscing about the many small cheesemaking facilities that were clustered around his family farm near Stratford, Ontario while growing up. A visit to Ruth’s former operation in Millbank, where his uncle once made cheese, has Larry learning about Monforte’s artisanal cheesemaking. This issue of Harrowsmith is available at the newsstands until July 9, 2009.

Monforte banking on a renaissance
by Paul Cluff, The Beacon Herald, May 19, 2009
“Thinking outside the box is helping Ruth Klahsen live the dream of operating a successful dairy production company... At an open house Sunday at city hall auditorium, Ms. Klahsen discussed her company and efforts to raise capital through a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program. ” FULL STORY>

Cheesemaker has big plans in Stratford
by Stew Slater, Stratford Gazette, May 14, 2009
“It’s not the conventional method for financing and building a dairy processing plant, but Ruth Klahsen could never be described as a conventional cheesemaker.” FULL STORY>

Squeezed by rent hike, cheesemaker plans to stage comeback in Stratford
by Dinah Murdoch, The Kitchener Record, May 9, 2009
“Ruth Klahsen is a master of metaphors. According to a blog the artisanal cheesemaker writes for the website of her company, Monforte Dairy, perfect cheese is the Super Bowl of her craft, the ever-dangling carrot that gets her up every morning.” FULL STORY>

Shop: Cheese, Cheese, Cheese
coco&lowe, April 27, 2009
“Recently I learnt about the Monforte Dairy Company, and no I don’t mean the Montfort Restaurant chain where you can get a chicken shawarma at 4 am.” FULL STORY>

Buying the farm, bit by bit
by Kim Honey, Toronto Star, April 15, 2009
“Some GTA residents who buy a share in a farm this year will no longer have to sit back and take their kale, or any other vegetable they dislike, for that matter. More and more Community Shared Agriculture or CSA farms are allowing their customers to "shop" for some or all of the food in their weekly allotment.” FULL STORY>

The cheese plate gets competitive
by Lianne George, Macleans.ca, April 10, 2009
“Part of the burgeoning appeal of local artisanal cheeses – particularly in tough financial times, when more fine dining happens at home – is that, like wines, they offer hosts the opportunity to regale guests with tales of bucolic settings, meticulous producers, wholesome ingredients, and age-old production methods.” FULL STORY>

Brewers Plate Menu Announced
by Troy Burtch, Canadian Pubs and Beer, April 9, 2009
“The menu for next Friday's Brewers Plate has been announced, and thanks to Greg Clow, it sounds friggin amazing. Local food, local beer, highly talented and skilled chefs, all together in a beautiful room on a Friday night.” FULL STORY>

Monforte's Ruth Klahsen Sells Subscriptions to Build a New Dairy
by Sasha Champman, The Globe and Mail, March 28, 2009
“Saturday morning at the St. Lawrence Farmers' Market: Cheese lovers jostle each other as they wait for an audience with Ruth Klahsen, the charismatic owner of Monforte Dairy. Usually, they are rewarded with a treasure trove of artisanal cheeses, from tangy sheep's-milk cream cheeses to crumbly sharp pecorinos.” FULL STORY>

The Charms of the Farm – Why a CSA is the Best Way to Enjoy the Harvest
by Sheryl Kirby, TasteTO.com, March 26, 2009
“It’s almost April, and everywhere you turn people are planning their gardens – mapping out plots, ordering seeds. It’s enough to make a yardless city gal a little bit jealous, and I know I’m not the only one experiencing garden envy.” FULL STORY>

Business is Good: Ruth Klahsen and the Monforte Brand
Savour Ontario, Volume 1
“When cheese-maker Ruth Klahsen stood before the panel of millionaire entrepreneurs in the first season of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, she was undaunted. She was facing down the kind of investors who would never consider putting their money into expanding the production of hand-wrought
food.” FULL STORY>

Reinventing the Cheese Wheel
by Elizabeth Baird, Toronto Sun, March 4, 2009
“Suppose you're a small food entrepreneur and you make a product that everybody raves about, that chefs, cheese mongers and consumers can't get enough of it. Your sales have doubled every year for the last 5 years and your enterprise helps support some 20 small farms.” FULL STORY>

The Renaissance Is Coming – And There Will Be Cheese
by Sheryl Kirby, TasteTO.com, February 26, 2009
“Last week, I ate the very last piece of Monforte Dairy’s Piacere cheese that I will be able to get until January 2010. It was a joyous event, but also bittersweet for those of us addicted to the gorgeous cheeses Ruth Klahsen has been producing for the last 5 years.” FULL STORY>

The Monforte Renaissance
by Cheesepoet, February 22, 2009
“Oh, the trials of trying to make great cheese. Ruth Klahsen has been making great cheese at Monforte Dairy in Millbank, Ontario since 2004. Sales have doubled every year but her landlord, as landlords are wont to do, jacked the rent up beyond a point that was feasible, forcing Ruth out of the space.” FULL STORY>

Pork: Whey-fed, way delicious
by Shaun Smith, The Globe and Mail, January 7, 2009
“Last spring, Mr. Martin began feeding his pigs with whey from Monforte Dairy, an artisanal cheese maker in nearby Millbank, Ont. And whey-fed pork is like no other.” FULL STORY>

5 best places to say cheese in Ontario
Ottawa Citizen, December 27, 2008
“#1. Monforte Dairy Company: In the heart of Amish country, cheesemaker Ruth Klahsen, a veteran chef well-known to patrons of Rundles and the Old Prune in Stratford where she once cooked, makes more than 30 different cheeses including the ‘wow’ one called Piacere (pleasure in Italian), a semi-soft sheep's milk cheese covered with rosemary, savoury, chill pepper and juniper, that's addictive.” FULL STORY>

The Grandes Dames of Artisanal Cheese
by Laura Buckley, Edible Toronto, Fall 2008
“When Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy was told she was too old to apply to midwifery college, cheesemaking seemed a logical alternative. Klahsen believes it takes the same kind of patience to make cheese as to birth a baby. ‘You can’t rush it,’ she says. ‘You have to wait for the
cheese to be ready.’ Patience is why she thinks women are better suited to cheesemaking than men.” FULL STORY>

The Cheesmaker: Ruth Klahsen
by Chris Nuttall-Smith, Toronto Life, July 2008
“Ruth Klahsen’s Monforte Dairy makes the best cheeses in Ontario. Full stop. Pale rounds of Pepato Fresco – peppered sheep’s milk – are laid out in her aging room near Stratford like infants in a nursery, still a week away from growing the cat hair mould and the blue skein of penicillin that will make them strong. Wheels of Toscano sit dense, sexy and assertive on their wire racks next to Klahsen’s ash-dipped crottins of chèvre, called Don’s Blue, after Don Cherry, because they look (but emphatically do not taste) like hockey pucks.” FULL STORY>

Milk and the Maiden
by Cheryl Young, Gremolata, 2008
“Ruth Klahsen is the vibrant, energetic artisanal cheese maker who is the owner and driving force behind Montforte Dairy. Formerly a professional chef at The Stratford Chef’s School, she left what she described as ‘the best job possible job for a chef’ for the unknown entrepreneurial waters of becoming an independent cheese maker. Her rationale was like that of many self employed business people: more control over one’s time, the opportunity to make a living on your own terms, and the chance to make a difference in the world around you.” FULL STORY>

VIDEO

Heads TO
October 23, 2009
Ruth Klahsen talks about the trials that led her to start Monforte Dairy. WATCH >

Le Gourmet TV
with Warren and Hugh, October 23, 2008
Warren and Hugh walk us through the product range of one of their favourite cheese producers, Monforte Dairy. WATCH >

AUDIO CLIPS

Ruth Klahsen
Matt Galloway, CBC Metro Morning, April 17, 2009
LISTEN >

Ruth Klahsen
Sarah Elton and Kevin Sylvester, CBC Radio’s Here and Now, January 7, 2009
LISTEN >

Rebel Cheesemaker
interviewed by Kevin Sylvester, CBC Radio’s Sounds Like Canada, Septemer 15, 2008
“Ruth Klahsen is the owner and head cheesemaker of Montforte Dairy. Her adventures in the ‘underground’ cheese market have given her a lot to talk about...now that she's gone ‘legit’.” LISTEN >