Jewell

Margie Jewell DeCastilhos

It’s hard to imagine the holidays after a loss of a spouse. I’ve been thinking and praying for Flavio and the boys in these days.
Marge was a treasure, a jewel, just like her name.

Today a package came from Flavio, a gift of cheese from his Tumalo Farms as he and Marge used to send this time of year. We have enjoyed watching from afar this enterprise they started in Oregon, and certainly have enjoyed the wonderful cheeses they have created. This time was different and special, it contained a new cheese, one he named “Jewell”  after his dear Margie.

He writes:
“Our newst cheese is creamy and buttery. This delightful bloomy rind has a rich and savory finish. Jewell is made with certified organic cows’ milk from a neighboring farm and mixed with our farmstead goats’ milk. It perfectly rounds out a cheese tray or makes a stunning appetizer. Its rich and creamy interior spreads beautifully on your favorite cracker, fruit or bread. Jewell took us over seven months to develop and perfect. We feel it is now just right for you to try. It also has a special story behind it

This cheese has been named Jewell in honor of my late wife Margie Jewell DeCastilhos, co-founder of Tumalo Farms, who passed away from cancer in January, 2010. I called her Jewell from the first time I ever met her it was a single syllable name and thus easier to pronounce than Margie for a native Portuguese speaker like me. Jewell was truly my soulmate and I think that although it might be a fitting name for this cheese, we would have both agreed that this is far too selfish on my part. But, as the most selfless, smart, charismatic and complete person I”ve ever met, she was truly our family’s guiding light in life and there’s nothing more fitting than to honor her. Now she remains part of something  positive, beautiful, and delicious at Tumalo Farms.”
Our package is yummy! Thank you Flavio, we LOVE Jewell!

Present from Flavio