On New Year’s Eve 1999, Tim and Jill Pedrozo moved their herd of 60 Jersey cows three hours north of their Central California hometown. Tim had found a small dairy facility in Orland (just over an hour north of Sacramento and 20 minutes west of Chico) that included 60 acres of pasture and a small cheeseplant already in use. It was important to the Pedrozos to be able to maintain a small herd of cattle and allow them to graze on pasture year-round. The owners of the dairy were ready to retire and happily taught Tim and Jill their method of cheesemaking.
For eight 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 the seasonal Black Butte Reserve. In the fall of 2006, she handed the reins and recipes to daughter Mandy Johnston, who returned to the family farm after working in the magazine industry. Mandy made a few changes to the recipe and lineup of the Pedrozo family of cheeses, including her addition of Stout Cow, a two-pound wheel soaked in Sierra Nevada Stout. She has also carried on the tradition of award winning, earning a gold medal for aged cheeses at the 2007 California State Fair with her first batch of Black Butte Reserve. Her boyfriend, John Pearson, recently joined the force to manage the marketing and design aspects of the business.
Tim continues to milk and manage his herd of beauties, and is passionate about growing the best pasture imaginable for the family’s cows. The “kids,” Tom and Laura, are in high school and junior high respectively, but each plays a special part in the family business. Tom helps Mandy in the cheeseplant when not in school, while Laura would much rather be outside with the animals.
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.