Cowgirl Creamery

PEOPLE: Peggy Smith and Sue Conley along with Maureen Cunnie (who leads the cheesemaking team), Eric Patterson (who manages the aging of the cheese and keeps all of the equipment operational), 46 full-time employees and 14 part-time employees

ABOUT: Both Peggy and Sue had careers as chefs before they opened Tomales Bay Foods, the home of the Cowgirl Creamery, in a renovated barn in Point Reyes Station in 1997. At their stall at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Cowgirl sells the cheeses they make at their creamery as well as dairy products from Straus Family Creamery. They also have a retail shop inside the Ferry Building with a wider selection of cheeses. Their own products include both fresh and aged cheeses, some available year-round, and others available only seasonally.

SOURCING: Cowgirl Creamery cheeses are certified organic by the Marin County Agriculture Department. All of their cheeses are made with organic cow's milk from the Straus Family Creamery in Marshall and organic cream from Clover Stornetta in Petaluma. They use a vegetarian microbial rennet.