North Coast
A trip up the coast of California brings spectacular ocean views and redwood groves, and also includes three cheesemakers. This might be a two-day excursion. 115 miles north of San Francisco, in the Alexander Valley, where there's wine aplenty, make your first cheese stop at Pennyroyal Farm, where you can take a farm tour (goats and sheep), see cheese aging, taste cheese and have some cheese with your wine, as the co-owner is also of Navarro Winery. If you're heading over to the coast, amble north. If you're there on a Sunday, Spring Hill Farmstead Goat in Bayside (near Eureka) has a small creamery with goats, which can be visited by appointment (Sundays only). Keep heading north, first allowing yourself to be distracted by the scenery, stopping often. A stop in the charming and historic town of Ferndale, where many small dairies dot the landscape, is not to be missed. Heading even further north, you'll end up in Crescent City (just south of the Oregon border). Once there, stop by the Rumiano cheese shop and creamery, makers of Dry Jack and organic cheese, to view the cheesemaking and pick up cheese. Finally, just 15 minutes north, still considered Crescent City, you can take a self-guided tour of Alexandre Family Farm, showing you exactly how their A-2 cows are born, raised and fed.
Pennyroyal Farm
Pennyroyal Farm produces handcrafted cheese exclusively from goats and sheep that are raised on their own family farm.
Alexandre Family Farm
Nestled between the Coastal Redwood Forest, the Pacific Ocean and the Smith River, Alexandre Family Farm sits at the confluence of an exceptional wildlife habitat.
Spring Hill Farmstead Goat Cheese
In April 2016, after almost 27 years at a local CPA firm, Karin retired to follow her dream of raising La Mancha dairy goats and making farmstead goat cheese for her community in Humboldt County.
Rumiano Cheese
Brothers Richard, Fred and John Rumiano emigrated to the United States from Italy and are known for their development of Dry Jack cheese, especially one rubbed with a coating of black pepper dust, cocoa powder and oil.
