Tim's passion for having a small herd of cows grazing on permanent pasture is our inspiration for making farmstead cheeses that let the quality of the milk and variety of grasses in the pasture permeate every bite. Tim is a third generation dairy farmer. In 1996 he and his wife, Jill, bought their own small herd of Jersey and Holstein cows. Two years later they made a life altering decision and moved their cows and family to the small Northern Sacramento Valley town of Orland to purchase their own dairy and cheese making facility. They both learned how to make a Gouda-style cheese from the former owners, and their first two cheeses were born-Northern Gold, and Black Butte Reserve. Their education in cheese was just begining! Over the years they have had the opportunity to glean tips and techniques from some of the best in the industry-The newest addition to their family is Blondie's Best (named for the family's favorite show cow.) Our cows are the reason we make cheese. They love living on the pasture and spend all day every day out on green grass. Our mild winters mean grasses grow year round, but the particular types of grasses growing each season make the flavor of our cheeses vary from season to season. Spring grasses are celebrated in our premier cheese, Black Butte Reserve.

For ten years, Jill perfected her own recipe and craft of farmstead cheesemaking, creating semi-firm, award-winning cheeses like the traditional Northern Gold, the wine-soaked Tipsy Cow, and Black Butte Reserve.  Today, Jill works off the farm (in addition to being the face of the Pedrozo Dairy at the Saturday Chico Farmers Market), but her recipes are still the foundation of the cheeses which are now crafted by our cheesemaker, Brian Ackerly, a native Californian with 15 years of experience working with food and wine.  Brian, along with his wife and daughter, returned to the North State to be closer to their families, and to become more involved with local agriculture.

Tim continues to milk and manage his herd of beauties, and is passionate about growing the best pasture possible for the family’s cows. The “kids,” Tom and Laura, are in high school, but each plays a special part in the family business. They help outside with farm chores, they also take some of the cows to fairs and have won champion many times.

We Pedrozos strive to live and grow sustainably. It is important to us to be able to remain family-owned and continue to produce high-quality, great-tasting cheeses without compromise. It is with these beliefs and goals that we are proud to offer you our family of farmstead cheeses.