About Us

Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery is located on the rural coast of Sonoma County, California. The company produces handcrafted, Italian style artisan cheeses made from 100% Jersey cows milk. The cows have access to pasture 365 days a year, are never treated with growth hormones or anitbiotics, and the land is certified organic.

The cheeses are sold in grocery stores, restaurants, wineries, online, farmer’s markets, special events, and in their brand new retail & restaurant location in Valley Ford. For the past 12 years the company has been expanding its distribution throughout the bay area and can now be found in southern California and scattered throughout the midwest and east coast.

Karen Bianchi-Moreda and her son Joe Moreda, Jr. are the 4th and 5th generations to be involved in the dairy industry. Karen grew up on her family’s dairy farm and in 2008 began exploring ways to carve her own niche in the industry.

Whenever Karen would go visit her grandparents for lunch or dinner as a child, they always had a certain cheese on the table, served with an ice cold glass of milk or a nice red wine. So when Karen decided to start experimenting making artisan cheese, it was only natural to produce that same cheese which was a staple in the family for years. Karen’s father, Paul, allowed her to revamp an old dairy barn into a small cheesemaking facility, and after months of research, attending a cheesemaking course at Cal Poly, and lots of trial and error, she finally had it. A semi-hard cheese with a nice subtle bite, a hint of nuttiness, but yet a smooth and desireable texture. The cheese was named “Estero Gold” after the Estero Americano which runs adjacent to Valley Ford.

Excited and relieved that the product development stage was over, now it was time to find a store or two to see if the public would be interested. Little did she know that this small hobby would turn into a full fledged business that her son Joe would eventually embark on as well.

While Karen was home in Valley Ford getting the new company off the ground, her two son’s were both attending Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Her oldest son, Joe, was majoring in Dairy Science with an emphasis in Dairy Products Technology and a minor in Agricultural Business. Her youngest son, Jim, was majoring in Dairy Science with an emphasis in Dairy Husbandry. They were both preparing for a life in the industry they born and raised in. Joe’s passion was in the manufacturing of dairy products and Jim’s passion was in the cows and land.

Since Joe was a child, he always knew he wanted to be involved in the dairy industry, however he didn’t envision himself as a farmer or working directly with the animals. He was given the opportunity to intern with Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company and fell in love with the entire operation. Upon entering Cal Poly, he knew that he wanted to have a career involved in the processing of milk.

Throughout his time at Cal Poly, Joe was able to gain some valuable experience outside the classroom as well. He worked at the Cal Poly Creamery as a student employee, learning how to make cheese, ice cream, butter, yogurt, dry milk powder, and fluid milk. While at the creamery he also learned lessons in Plant Management, sanitation, inventory management, packaging, shipping, receiveing, and cut & wrap. Working alongside a great student team and led by a great Plant Manager, Joe was able to prepare himself for whatever future career path he took in the industry.

During the summer of his senior year, Joe completed an internship with the largest privately owned Mozzarella cheese company in the world, Leprino Foods. The job was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the experience could not have been better. At the end of the summer, he was offered the full time job upon graduation.

After graduation and some careful thought and consideration, he declined the offer of employment at Leprino and decided to come home to join Karen to see if they could take her company to another level.

Joe took over the reigns of cheesemaking and plant management, and Karen was able to focus on sales and marketing. Together, the two have been steadfast in growing their footprint in the industry, creating and innovating new products, and continuing to pursue their dream of building a sustainable artisan dairy product manufacturing company that could be around for generations to come.

In 2019, the company opened its first storefront in their hometown of Valley Ford. The retail and restaurant facility showcases all of the company’s cheeses, along with local beer and wine, coffee and espresso, soft serve ice cream, crafts and goodies, and many more fun and exciting locally produced items. The restaurant features a world-lass duo Chef and Pastry Chef team, and the menu is centered around the cheeses. While customers are enjoying their time at the shop, they can view an aging room filled with 2,500 wheels of Estero Gold Reserve, along with the new cut & wrap room. Scheduled private events are popular, along with summertime local music and pop up bar-b-ques.

Karen’s youngest son, Jim, recently started his own dairy farm on a local family farm in which he is leasing. His heard of Jersey’s graze on 260 acres of pasture and produce rich milk high in nutrients. It has always been Jim’s dream to start his own dairy with his own herd of animals, and in March of 2020 that vision became a reality.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Estero Gold

'Best Division of Hard Cheese' California Cheese Competition (2012)
'Double Gold' Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2011)
'Double Gold' Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2010)

Estero Gold Reserve

'Best Division of Hard Cheese' California Cheese Competition (2016)
'Best of Show' California Cheese Competition (2015)
'Best Division of Hard Cheese' California Cheese Competition (2012)
'Best of Show' California Cheese Competition (2012)
'Best of Show' Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2011)

Highway One

'Gold' California Cheese Competition (2012)
'Best of Show' Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2012)
'Double Gold' Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2011)
'Double Gold' Sonoma County Harvest Fair (2010)

GRAZIN' GIRL

‘Best Division of Semi-Soft Cheese’ California Cheese Competition (2018)