In 2010, goat dairy processor Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery created Green Valley Creamery in order to make real dairy enjoyable for everyone, even those who are lactose-intolerant. Today, the Sebastopol, Calif.-based processor specializes in organic, lactose-free, real dairy products, such as yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese, all made with minimal processing using pure and simple ingredients.

“Through years of serving the lactose-intolerant community, we’ve learned that although people with digestive difficulties often suffer in silence, they long to bring the indulgence and joy of real dairy back into their lives,” says Rich Martin, vice president of sales and marketing.

At a Glance

Company Name: Green Valley Creamery
HQs: Sebastopol, Calif.
Est.: 2010
Distribution: Nationwide
Products: Lactose-free yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese.
No. of Employees: 75

To better cater to its lactose-intolerant consumers, in July, Green Valley Creamery changed its name from Green Valley Organics and unveiled a major packaging redesign.

“The new branding helps our products stand out on shelves and emphasizes that they’re made with clean, minimally processed ingredients and real dairy,” says Martin. “Some customers didn’t realize that our lactose-free products were made with real milk; adding ‘creamery’ to our name helps make it clear we use real dairy.”

Green Valley Creamery also became what is said to be the first dairy brand in the United States to achieve FODMAP Friendly certification, a registered certification trademark that certifies food products were laboratory tested to be low in FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols).

Green Valley Creamery’s facility is 100% powered with renewable energy.

“It was important to us to become FODMAP Friendly-certified because we heard from many of our customers that eating low-FODMAP was a game changer for their digestive issues. A low-FODMAP diet is recognized by doctors and dietitians as one of the most effective treatments for IBS [irritable bowel syndrome], which affects an estimated one in seven Americans,” Martin says. “Because Green Valley Creamery dairy products don’t contain lactose—a disaccharide that many Americans have trouble digesting—they are safe to eat for those following a low-FODMAP diet. Label reading is a minefield for people trying to avoid FODMAPs, and this certification takes the guesswork out of the equation for them.”

Green Valley Creamery expanded production capacity to keep up with rising demand, and has additional capital projects in place for 2019.

Furthermore, Green Valley Creamery expanded production capacity to keep up with rising demand and has additional capital projects in place for 2019.

On the packaging side, Green Valley Creamery converted its yogurt cups to a more sustainable paperboard sleeve cup that uses less plastic.

Green Valley Creamery also became what is said to be the first dairy brand in the United States to achieve FODMAP Friendly certification.

“We take great pride in our quality and production practices—our products are made with the utmost care and respect for the animals who provide the milk, they are organic, they are made with the fewest ingredients possible and they are produced in a creamery that is 100% powered with renewable energy,” says Martin.