3 weeks Ago By Nina Singh-Hudson
A longstanding bastion of Bay Area cheesemaking, Joe Matos Cheese and Farmstead Co. has permanently ceased operations, leaving behind a legacy of traditional Portuguese St. Jorge cheese that spanned 45 years.
The Santa Rosa-based family business, renowned for its singular St. Jorge cheese, halted production in November of last year and continued selling off its remaining stock until closing shop yesterday, according to Sonoma Magazine . Owner Sylvia Tucker, reflecting on the series of setbacks that led to the closure, cited "an insurance claim that raised their rates by 25% and the growing political and economic pressures on small family dairies" as some of the key challenges faced by the company, which was founded by her parents Joe and Mary Matos after they immigrated from São Jorge Island in the Azores, Sonoma Magazine reported.
Facing operational struggles and with Joe Matos' health in decline, the storied cheese, which once graced a multitude of local cheese boards and was described by KQED's Gabe Meline as "tangy, buttery and nutty, with hints of citrus," will no longer tease Bay Area palates, SFGate emphasized. The closure of Joe Matos Cheese Factory resonates with a broader trend afflicting artisan cheesemakers and dairy operations in the North Bay, with operations like Sebastopol's Bohemian Creamery shutting down and a dramatic reduction in dairy and beef cattle farms operating within the region following environmental battles concerning Point Reyes National Seashore, as highlighted by Sonoma Magazine . These prevailing headwinds spell an uncertain future for the industry as production costs rise and socioeconomic factors continue to squeeze the life out of family-owned businesses.
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