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Have you "Herd"?

Ahhhh....Summertime. The most cherished of all seasons. For many families, it means a vacation adventure. Or time at the beach, the park, barbecues, all kinds of outdoor fun. And good food!

If you reach back into your own memory bank of summers past, whether as a kid or all grown-up with your own children, chances are pretty good that the good times with family and friends, and the summer foods at the heart of it all, are your favorite memories.

Chomping Ice-cold watermelon at our favorite family spot on the Russian River on a long, hot day hits home for brothers & sisters in the Bice family. So does reaching for a red, ripe tomato on the vine, warm from the sun -- I can smell it now!  Hauling heavy burlap sacks of ripe apples in from the orchard to make sauce, juice and pies, an annual tradition our family continues to this day.

We grow a little bit of just about everything on our Redwood Hill Farm, and lots of some things.
For the rest, our friends and neighbors at the farmer's markets always have a bounty of peak season freshness. From artichokes to zucchini, radishes to radicchio, red beets and green beans and tomatoes and, oh yeah, watermelon! These days, we might even make a watermelon/feta salad with Redwood Hill's traditional raw milk feta.

Get your goat at the farmer's market

You can also find all of your favorite Redwood Hill Farm goat cheeses at some of our California farmers markets, with free samples of course. Our niece Marissa is at the Ferry Bldg. market in San Francisco every Saturday, while Georgi, (pictured) part of our extended family of longtime employees, is at the Saturday market in Berkeley. David & Maggie Schack have been close with our family for decades, they'll serve you with a smile at the Santa Monica farmers market. We proudly serve free tastes of everything we make -- cheeses, yogurts and kefirs.

Remember to visit your own farmers market, it's a tasty way to celebrate our fresh, summertime abundance. Support your local farmers, grow some of your own, start your own family traditions and cherish the season with good, local food. You'll be making memories just as sweet as watermelon, but longer lasting.
Healthful, natural, delicious!

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery Begins Construction On 586 kW DC Solar Project

Solar energy to run creamery will offset fuels costs used to distribute products

Entreprenur and pioneer cheesemaker Jennifer Lynn Bice has been concerned with the carbon footprint used to distribute her natural goat milk products to customers around the country who want them. "Because fewer people consume goat milk products as compared to cow dairy, it is important for us to have a wider geographic area of distribution to be able to do what we love and be a viable business", explains Bice,  owner of the 42 year old Sebastopol business. "By installing our solar system we will offset in a much greater percentage the transportation costs of distributing our goat milk, cheese, yogurt and kefir. This is very important to us."

Design completed, installation is underway

Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery has hired a local firm, "One Sun", for design and installation of the 586 kW DC solar system which will use 2,548 Silikin 230 kW solar modules, made in California. One Sun has selected the highest quality components in the industry ranging from PV powered 260 kW inverters with a 10 year warranty, to the redundant disconnects allowing maximum flexibility and accessibility to shut off portions of the array if needed.

Making a positive impact

When complete in September, the project will encompass nearly two acres of roof space and is calculated to produce 810,840 kWh to supply 100% of the projected energy needs of the creamery. The CO2 reduced annually is equal to 110 acres of trees saved, 54 cars off the road or 76 homes powered.
A local Sonoma County business, One Sun has designed and/or installed large photovoltaic systems around the Bay Area.
Protecting the environment and preserving agricultural open space has been a constant focus and commitment for Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery.

Sustainably Farmed and Family Owned Since 1968

Redwood Hill Farm is home to the 2010 American Dairy Goat Association National Champions in the Alpine, Nubian and Saanen breeds.

40 year breeding program pays off with unprecedented success

Each year, dairy goat breeders from across the country bring the very finest animals from their show herds to be judged at the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) National Show, held this year in Louisville, Kentucky. Our farm's focused breeding program has produced National Champions over the past three decades. However, this years National Show, just concluded, brought unprecedented success with National Champion honors in three of the six dairy goat breeds. The judges have awarded these dairy animals to be the finest representation of their particular breed. The 2010 Nubian National Champion is Redwood Hills 'Tarot Dahlia, the 2010 Saanen National Champion is Sartyr 'Clinton Tivoli'. And our gorgeous doe 'Scarlett', shown below, was another supreme winner.

The 2010 Alpine National Champion is Redwood Hills 'Fortune Scarlett'.

    

The show team begins road trip home

Owner Jennifer Bice, Farm Manager Scott Bice, Herd Manager Trinity Smith and handler Ben Rupchis are thoroughly and happily exhausted after all of the preparation and effort that goes into a National Show. Now on the long but carefully planned drive home across the country, these goats and our farm management crew will be given a well-deserved homecoming celebration as they return to Redwood Hill Farm in Sebastopol. We congratulate all of the breeders and dairy goat herds from across the nation for making this an unforgettable show, and we're honored to be included among the finest!
From award winning dairy goats, comes award winning yogurt, kefir and artisan cheeses.

The California State Fair has announced the winners of the 2010 Commercial Cheese Competition. Cheese makers from ten different counties participated in the hopes of being recognized as one of the best cheese makers in the state.

Family Favorites

Our family and crew at Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery is excited to learn that our luscious Camembert style cheese, 'Camellia' was awarded a Gold Medal! A longtime favorite of chefs and cheese aficianados throughout the Bay Area and beyond, 'Camellia' is a superb choice for a cheese plate served with grapes and other fresh fruits. It pairs fantastically with sparkling wines, non-oakey chardonnays and pinot noirs.

Also, one of our family's favorite flavored chevres, Three Peppercorn, was awarded a Gold Medal, Best In Division and Best In Show! A tremendous honor for us in a competition that included 140 entries that represented the very best in California cheese making. Our soft, spreadable Three Peppercorn Chevre stands alone with good rustic bread or a plain, crisp cracker. Or as a spread for baby carrots, celery, etc. Recipe ideas are as endless as your imagination!

Easy to find, easy to enjoy

Our latest award winners are widely available at many markets and at fine cheese shops throughout California, the west coast and at select stores across the country. All Redwood Hill Farm cheeses are ALWAYS available right here by selecting "Shop Online".

Formal announcement of the competition winners will be made at the 15th annual California's Grape & Gourmet, the state's leading wine and food event to be held Wednesday, July 7 at the Sacramento Convention Center from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The commercial cheese scoreboard is broken down by flavor, texture, finish and color. All Best of Division and Best of Show winning cheeses will be displayed in the California Foodstyle Building during the California State Fair which runs July 14 through August 1.