Ruth Klahsen is founder and owner of Monforte Dairy, based in Stratford Ontario. Monforte produces a range of delicious cheeses in different styles from sheep, goat, cow and water buffalo milk, and Monforte is prominent at cheese shops, retail and farmers markets across Ontario and Canada.
Ruth Klahsen is founder and owner of Monforte Dairy, based in Stratford Ontario. Monforte produces a range of delicious cheeses in different styles from sheep, goat, cow and water buffalo milk, and Monforte is prominent at cheese shops, retail and farmers markets across Ontario and Canada.
Ruth talks about her roots at the Stratford Chef School, including its earliest days of striving for recognition and excellence. Stratford is famous for its Shakespearean Festival, and draws many annually as a cultural and culinary destination. We learn from Ruth about her adventures in learning about artisan cheeses from travels in Europe, (including participation at the Slow Food Cheese Festival, and the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Italy, taking a cheese course at Stirling College in Vermont, or the initial efforts of the Ontario and Canadian Cheese Society. Our conversation is lively, wide-ranging and weighs in on the value of artisan cheese in fostering community, taste and meaning in today's food system. So grab a drink, a piece of cheese and tune into our conversation!