Cowgirl Creamery

Cowgirl Creamery is a beloved cheese producer that was founded in 1997 by friends and business partners Sue Conley and Peggy Smith. The company was born out of a shared dream to celebrate organic practices and highlight the craftsmanship of local sustainable agriculture in Marin and Sonoma counties. Conley and Smith have a deep history in the food industry, with Conley co-owning Bette’s Oceanview Diner in Berkeley and Smith spending 17 years at Chez Panisse. They both had a passion for the food producers in the North Bay, seeing parallels between them and European food artisans whose products were honored and protected.

In the early 1990s, Conley and Smith launched a wholesale distribution business, Tomales Bay Foods, to help West Marin’s farms and dairies get their delicious products into the hands of the Bay Area’s finest chefs. They eventually began making delicious fresh cheeses using Straus milk, and it wasn't long before they began creating award-winning organic cheeses including the iconic Mt. Tam and Red Hawk. Today, Cowgirl Creamery has retail stores and cafes across the country, and in 2016, they passed the torch to Emmi, a Swiss dairy company, that advises Cowgirl Creamery’s passionate team. Conley and Smith continue to work tirelessly to champion causes on behalf of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), the American Cheese Society, and other organizations.