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OUR HISTORY

GROOVIN’ WITH GOATS SINCE 1968

From our early days as a 4-H project to our evolution into one of the country’s most beloved yogurt brands, our calling has always been to make delicious, nourishing dairy, treat our goats with love and respect, and be good stewards of the land. Our founder, Jennifer Bice’s, lifelong dedication to goats began over 50 years ago, when she started raising and showing goats on her family’s dairy farm. Find out what’s shaped us into the company we are today.

1963

Kenneth and Cynthia Bice move their family from urban Los Angeles to the redwoods of Sonoma County, pursuing their dream of going “back to the land.”

two people standing with goats in a barn
1964

Redwood Hill Farm is born. The family buys two acres of land on a previous apple orchard and establishes their homestead, raising ducks, chickens, rabbits, goats, pigs, and sheep.

A row of children holding their goats on a leash
1966

The Bice children begin raising and showing goats through 4-H. With five or six goats each, they soon find themselves with enough for a herd, and an excess of fresh goat milk.

A woman kneeling down with a goat and a winner ribbon
1966

Jennifer Bice, the oldest of the ten Bice siblings, takes a special interest in raising goats. She is drawn to their sweet, inquisitive, and gregarious personalities, and enjoys teaching them tricks.

three men posing with shovels in the dirt
1968

The Bices build their first milking parlor and bottling room on the family farm. They begin selling raw goat milk in glass bottles to local health food stores.

Container of Redwood Hill farm kefir
1970

Redwood Hill Farm introduces the nation’s first goat milk kefir.

A man kneeling with a goat
1978

Jennifer Bice and her husband Steven Schack take over the goat dairy with little more than $250 to their names. Guided by the same values as Jennifer’s parents, they expand the business to produce a greater variety of goat milk products and diversify the dairy goat-breeding program.

a block of Redwood Hill farm feta cheese
1980

Raw goat milk feta is the first in a line of artisan cheeses.

Container of Redwood Hill farm yogurt
1982

Redwood Hill Farm introduces the nation’s first goat milk yogurt. It continues to be the best-selling goat milk yogurt in the U.S. to this day.

a man awarding a trophy to another man and woman
1986

Jennifer and Steven win the Premier Breeder Award at the American Dairy Goat Association’s National Show.

Container of Redwood Hill farm Chevre
1992

Fresh chèvre becomes a best-seller in Redwood Hill Farm’s line of artisan cheeses, as goat cheese begins to enjoy widespread popularity, influenced by the “California cuisine” style of cooking.

a woman standing with shelves full of cheese
1994

Redwood Hill Farm is the first in the U.S. to make a Camembert-style cheese from goat milk. Jennifer names it Camellia, after one of her first Saanen goats.

a man and a goat standing in a field
2000

The Bice siblings, Scott, David, Shelley, and Sharon, rally round to help Jennifer with the rapidly growing business.

Redwood Hill farm creamery
2004

The company moves into a state-of-the-art creamery in Sebastopol, CA four miles south of the original farm.

two goats with their heads together
2005

The original Redwood Hill Farm becomes the first goat dairy in the nation to become Certified Humane®, a rigorous animal welfare certification awarded by Humane Farm Animal Care.

Containers of Redwood Hill farm sour cream, eggs, apples, oats, and honey
2010

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery launches its sister brand, Green Valley Creamery, the only exclusively lactose-free line of real dairy products in the U.S.

solar panels in a lavender field
2010

The business goes solar. The creamery installs 2,548 solar panels on its roof that provide the majority of its electricity (the rest is powered by other renewable sources like wind and geothermal). The farm installs a solar system that powers the entire operation.

A woman holding a baby goat
2011

Jennifer Bice is inducted into the American Cheese Society Academy of Cheese as one of the eight pioneers of artisan goat cheese in the U.S.

a goat eating hay
2015

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery is acquired by Swiss dairy maker, Emmi. The 108-year old company is majority owned by a cooperative of small-scale dairy farmers in Switzerland who farm between 10 and 50 cows.

A woman milking rows of goats
2017

The first Jennifer Bice Artisan Dairy/Cheesemaker Grant is awarded to Erika McKenzie-Chapter, head cheesemaker of Pennyroyal Farm. The grant is created with the intention to mentor and support the next generation of cheesemakers in California.

Array of Redwood Hill Farm products
2020

Redwood Hill Farm debuts new logo and packaging design. Through visuals and storytelling, the new packaging seeks to weave cornerstone tenets—a love for goats, the land, and dairy craft—with artwork that feels at once fresh and modern.

DID YOU KNOW?
WHEN BOTTLE-RAISED, KIDS WILL BOND WITH THEIR CAREGIVERS