Editor’s note: This post was updated on June 17, 2025
While culture is proud to promote LGBTQ+ artisans all year round, we’re taking an opportunity this Pride Month to shine a spotlight on businesses in the LGBTQ+ cheese community. Browse and share our list with friends and celebrate Pride in cheesy style!
Did we forget to include a business below? Send us your suggestion(s) at socialmedia@culturecheesemag.com.
Cheese
- Tieton Farm and Creamery (Tieton, Washington) – Owners Ruth and Lori have been partners in life and farming for over 20 years, building a diversified, pasture-based operation rooted in love—for each other, their animals, the land, and their community. Ruth tends the herd, Lori crafts the cheese, and together they produce small-batch goat and sheep milk cheeses that reflect their deep respect for the land and all who share it.
- Chaseholm Farm (Pine Plains, New York) – Run by sibling duo Sarah and Rory Chase, this third-generation Hudson Valley farm produces raw milk cheeses from a grass-fed herd. The farm is also home to Dairy Drag, an evening of “deeply special queer performance art in a barn.”
- Nettle Meadow Farm (Lake Luzerne, New York) – A woman- and LGBTQ+-owned farm making award-winning cheeses and supporting rescued farm animals at its on-site sanctuary.
- Cherry Grove Farm (Lawrenceville, New Jersey) – Founded in 2002, Cherry Grove makes small-batch raw milk cheeses from their own grass-fed herd. Head cheesemaker Paul Lawler puts it best: “With a gay Head Cheesemaker of 10+ years (me), a queer herd manager, and most of our staff on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, Cherry Grove Farm is pretty freaking gay.”
- River Whey Creamery (Schertz, Texas) – After a career in book retail, Susan Rigg followed her culinary passion all the way to the cheesemaking caves of Vermont and the UK before founding River Whey Creamery in 2014. A proud queer woman and a devoted Texan, Susan transforms local milk into award-winning aged cheeses that reflect the land—what she calls “Earth to Soul” cheesemaking.
- FireFly Farms (Accident, Maryland) – This award-winning goat cheese creamery was co-founded by Mike Koch and Pablo Solanet, partners in both business and life.
- Cowgirl Creamery (Petaluma, California) – A pioneering cheese company co-founded by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, two trailblazing women whose impact on American artisan cheese is impossible to overstate.
- Peace Cheese (Austin, Texas) – This trans, nonbinary, and queer-owned meltable vegan cheese company aims to create spaces at farmers’ markets where “trans youth can feel safe.”
Cheese Shops & Cheesemongers
- Amabel Provisions (Buffalo, New York) – This queer-owned neighborhood cheese shop in Buffalo is a joyful celebration of food, community, and connection. Amabel offers artisan cheese and charcuterie, made-to-order sandwiches, and a thoughtful selection of specialty goods—all with a strong commitment to small producers, sustainability, and equity.
- Caseus Diem (Portland, Oregon) – Latin for “Cheese the Day,” Caseus Diem is a queer-owned cheese pop-up and community space created by Han Schmidt. After years of working in grocery and specialty retail, Han launched Caseus Diem to bring back the magic of face-to-face connections and cheese-fueled storytelling.
- Scott & Joe (Nyack, New York) – This welcoming neighborhood cheese shop in Nyack is run by husbands Scott and Joe, who bring their combined talents in event planning, food education, and local hospitality to every corner of the store. In addition to a well-curated cheese selection, the shop hosts classes, trips, and events—including a rotating series that spotlights cheeses made by LGBTQ+ makers.
- The Curd Nerd (Syracuse, New York) – The Curd Nerd is a queer-owned cheese shop and catering company in Syracuse dedicated to spreading cheese joy and education.
- Talbott & Arding (Hudson, New York) – Founded by chef Mona Talbott and cheese industry leader Kate Arding, this elegant market is a gem in the Hudson Valley.
- Toledo Cheese Depot (Toledo, Washington) – Founded in 2025 by couple Kyle and Matt Wheeler, Toledo Cheese Depot is a love letter to Toledo’s rich cheese heritage and community spirit. Inspired by the city’s beloved Cheese Days Festival and local traditions, the shop offers a curated selection of artisan cheeses, accompaniments, and gifts.
- Michelle Vieira – Artist and cheese manager at Carfagna’s in Columbus, Ohio.
- Jacobe Varela – Cheesemonger at Claremont Cheese Cave in Los Angeles, California.
- Mx Evey – Cheesemonger and activist in Portland, Oregon.
- Carrie Stenerson – A freelance cheesemonger and activist in Los Angeles, California.
- Madelyn Varela – Based in Cleveland, cheesemonger Madelyn Varela makes fun, educational content under the handle @cheezytalkwithmadelyn. For Pride Month 2025, she shared a lesbian-inspired board among others inspired by bisexuality and pansexuality.
Education, Events, and Entrepreneurs
- Philly Cheese School – Julia Fox-Birnbaum is the founder is the Philly Cheese School, a classroom space in South Philadelphia that welcomes all cheese lovers to connect and learn together.
- Own Your Funk – Founded by Connecticut-based Kyra James, Own Your Funk is an “innovative brand on a mission to bring greater self empowerment through the love of food, oneself and the culture.”
- Metro Cheese Club – Hannah Gershowitz is the co-founder of New York City’s Metro Cheese Club, a club that brings together cheese and community in many forms (dinner party, concert, comedy show, even a cheese rave).
- Immortal Milk – Led by Alisha Norris Jones, Immortal Milk fuses cheese with art, storytelling, and activism. Follow Alisha for unfiltered perspectives and gorgeous cheese pairings.
- Pattymelt Creative Studio – A Berkshire-based wife-and-wife design practice by Caroline Pratt and Sophie Lavine, who also works as cheesemonger at Rubiner’s Cheesemongers. They specialize in developing personable brand identities and (gorgeous) wedding stationery.
Accompaniments
- Five North Chocolate
- Dayum Jam
- Beekman 1802 (also makers of cheddar goat cheese)
- Pipcorn Heirloom Snacks
- Stonewall Kitchen
- V Smiley Preserves
- Diaspora Co.
- Butcher Girls
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