Caves of Faribault

What Caves of Faribault does

Caves of Faribault produces cave-aged blue and affinage cheeses using natural sandstone caves located beneath its facility in Faribault, Minnesota. The company was revitalized in 2001 by cheesemaker Jeff Jirik and operates as a division of Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., a dairy cooperative headquartered in Edwardsville, Illinois. Its core product portfolio centers on three blue cheeses — AmaBlu, AmaGorg, and St. Pete's Select — supplemented by a natural-rind unpasteurized blue called Felix and a growing affinage line that includes St. Helga's European Style Swiss, Cherubic Young Gouda, 44° North Natural Rind Swiss, and Grotto 222. The differentiation rests on the cave environment itself: native blue-green molds flourish in the stable temperature and humidity of the sandstone caves, inoculating the cheeses during aging and producing terroir-driven flavor profiles that the company states cannot be replicated elsewhere. Since 2009, this cave capacity has also been monetized through a proprietary affinage program in which partner cheesemakers craft cheeses to be aged in the Faribault caves under the Commission collection. The company has accumulated over 40 competition awards, including placements at the World Cheese Awards, American Cheese Society competition, World Championship Cheese Contest, and sofi Awards between 2019 and 2023.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce via shop.cavesoffaribault.com with wholesale distribution through specialty retailers (Hy-Vee, Lunds and Byerlys, Linden Hills Co-op, Wedge Co-op) and food service accounts. Products are shipped throughout the contiguous United States via UPS with zone-based flat-rate shipping ($15–$35 depending on zone) and insulated packaging. Unit pricing ranges from approximately $27 to $154 depending on cheese type and cut size, with whole wheels at the upper end and pre-portioned wedges or crumble cups at the lower end. Fulfillment for e-commerce orders is handled by sister company Shullsburg Creamery in Wisconsin, also part of Prairie Farms' cheese division. Marketing emphasizes brand storytelling through the "Echoes from the Caves" blog, recipes and pairing content, social media presence, and event participation including the American Cheese Society Annual Conference and the community Taste of Faribault event.

Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and the company is wholly owned within Prairie Farms' cooperative structure with no venture capital, private equity, or public listing involvement. Headcount is stated at 51–100 employees. The company maintains a sustainability posture, sourcing 90% of plant electricity from a community solar garden partnership with Geronimo Energy, and operates a single production facility with a distribution node in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. Geographic reach is limited to the United States, with explicit exclusions for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories.

Name

Caves of Faribault

Legal name

Caves of Faribault

Website

https://cavesoffaribault.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan/Specialty Cheese

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Cheese Aging/Affineur Services (Maturation & Cave-Aging) (AFAHABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB), Cheese Shops & Fromageries (CRAHAGAD)

Keywords

• Cave-aged cheese
• Artisan blue cheese
• Affinage cheese
• Specialty cheese
• Gorgonzola swiss gouda

Headquarters

HQ city

Faribault

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: The company sells cheese directly to consumers through their e-commerce platform shop.cavesoffaribault.com, offering whole wheels, half wheels, quarter wheels, and pre-portioned wedges and crumble cups of various cheeses.
2. Wholesale to Retailers: Caves of Faribault products are sold through retail stores including co-ops, Hy-Vee, and specialty cheese shops across the United States.
3. Food Service Sales: The company supplies cheese to restaurants and food service establishments, evidenced by their presence at events and local restaurant partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Caves of Faribault manufactures and sells cave-aged artisan Blue cheeses (AmaBlu, AmaGorg, St. Pete's Select, Felix) and affinage cheeses (St. Helga's European Swiss, Cherubic Gouda, 44° North, Grotto 222) aged in natural sandstone caves in Faribault, Minnesota. Products are sold directly to consumers via e-commerce and wholesale through specialty retailers, co-ops, and food service accounts across the contiguous United States.

Product overview

Caves of Faribault produces cave-aged Blue and Affinage cheeses using the natural sandstone caves in Faribault, Minnesota. The product portfolio includes three core Blue cheese products (AmaBlu, AmaGorg, and St. Pete's Select) with Felix as a natural-rind variant, plus several affinage cheeses (St. Helga's European Swiss, Cherubic Gouda, 44° North Swiss, and Grotto 222 Gouda). The company is a division of Prairie Farms Dairy Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AmaBlu®: America's first Blue cheese, cave-aged for minimum 75 days
• AmaGorg®
• St. Pete's Select®
• Felix®
• St. Helga's®
• Cherubic™
• Commission™
• 44° North
• Grotto 222

Products and services

• AmaBlu Blue Cheese

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of plant power from solar energy in 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Vintage Escapes WineryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2024Partnered with Caves of Faribault at the Taste of Faribault event to provide wine pairings for cheese tasting experiences.
• Caputo, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, Olympia ProvisionsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2022Co-sponsors of the Cheese Crawl event at the 2022 American Cheese Society Annual Conference, hosting at various locations throughout downtown Portland alongside Prairie Farms, Caves of Faribault, and Shullsburg Creamery.
• Coopers Hall Winery and Tap RoomminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2022Portland venue hosting the Prairie Farms, Caves of Faribault, and Shullsburg Creamery stop on the Cheese Crawl, providing appetizers, space, and ambiance for the event.
• J. Lohr Vineyards and WinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2022Collaborated with Caves of Faribault at Minnesota Monthly's 10th Annual Grillfest to provide wine pairings featuring six cheese and wine combinations at the event.
• Geronimo EnergyminorOthers · 1 June 2017Geronimo Energy, based in Minneapolis, developed and operates the community solar garden that provides 90% of the power for Caves of Faribault's plant operations. Their farmer-centric philosophy aligns with Prairie Farms' values.
• Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaves of Faribault is a division of Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. Prairie Farms provides corporate oversight, resources, and infrastructure for the cheese division while Caves of Faribault maintains its artisanal identity and cave aging operations.
• Shullsburg CreamerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShullsburg Creamery serves as Caves of Faribault's e-commerce fulfillment and distribution center. Products ordered through the online shop are shipped from Shullsburg, Wisconsin, which is operated as a sister company under Prairie Farms.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Maytag Dairy Farms: Family-owned Iowa producer of cave-aged blue cheese (Maytag Blue), one of the most recognized American blue cheeses and the closest direct peer to Caves of Faribault's AmaBlu and St. Pete's Select lines.
• Rogue Creamery: Oregon-based award-winning artisan creamery specializing in blue and cave-aged cheeses (e.g., Rogue River Blue), competing in the same premium blue cheese and affinage category with direct-to-consumer and wholesale distribution.
• Jasper Hill Farm: Vermont-based creamery operating natural cave aging facilities (Cellars at Jasper Hill) and a celebrated affinage program—directly comparable in cave-aging infrastructure and B2B affinage services to Caves of Faribault.
• Emmi Roth (Roth Cheese): Wisconsin specialty cheese maker known for cave-aged Grand Cru and other aged alpine-style cheeses; competes in the same specialty aged cheese category across retail and food service.
• Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company: California farmstead artisan cheese producer with award-winning blue cheese (Bay Blue) and aged offerings; comparable premium positioning, DTC retail, and specialty grocer distribution.
• Carr Valley Cheese: Wisconsin artisan cheese maker producing aged and cave-influenced varieties including blue and Swiss-style cheeses, competing in the same aged specialty cheese segment served by Caves of Faribault.
• Sartori Cheese: Wisconsin artisan cheese producer with multiple award-winning aged cheeses (including SarVecchio Parmesan-style and BellaVitano); competes in the premium aged cheese category at retail and food service.
• Widmer's Cheese Cellars: Wisconsin producer of aged brick, cheddar, and traditional cave-aged cheeses; heritage-aged specialty cheese comparable to Caves of Faribault's affinage offerings and regional craft positioning.

Others

• Shullsburg Creamery: Sister company under Prairie Farms Dairy that operates as Caves of Faribault's e-commerce fulfillment and distribution center; not a market peer but a key operational and ecosystem counterpart.

Emerging players

• Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Artisan cheese maker with retail flagship and DTC distribution; comparable premium artisan cheese positioning though focused on fresh curd, jack, and Flagship rather than cave aging.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CavesOfFaribault
• Facebookfacebook.com/CavesOfFaribault
• Instagraminstagram.com/cavesoffaribault

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caves of Faribault