Schoch Family Farmstead

Established in 1944, Schoch Dairy is located on the famed El Camino Real in the fertile Salinas Valley. Brothers Adolph and Ernest emigrated from Switzerland and found their way to California, establishing a family farmstead where they could continue the work they knew best: dairying. At that time, hundreds of small dairies dotted the Salinas Valley, where rich soil and the temperate coastal climate provide ideal conditions for grazing and milk production. Over the years, not much has changed on Schoch Dairy. The morning milking still starts before the sun rises over the Gabilan Mountains, and the cows still graze on pastures dampened by fog drifting east from Monterey Bay.

Schoch Dairy specializes in raw milk, which is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized. This allows the milkfat to rise naturally to the top and form a distinct cream layer, which can be skimmed for other uses or gently shaken back into the milk. Their traditional Swiss-style yogurt is made using unhomogenized whole milk and cultures, resulting in a delicate texture and a higher population of probiotic strains compared to standard yogurt cultures. The dairy's practices emphasize maintaining the natural qualities of their milk and dairy products.

Schoch Dairy is working to expand their product line and bring their products to new markets on the Central Coast. They plan to offer tours of their farmstead in the near future. Beau Schoch was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the California Artisan Cheese Guild. The dairy aims to increase production of fine artisan cheeses and diversify their products to include yogurt, kefir, and butter. They strive to become a regionally recognized producer of quality dairy products for a community that values fresh, local, unadulterated food.