Exciting News!
Schoch Dairy will be undergoing some exciting changes in the next few months. While still offering our high-quality, raw-milk, family-made products, we are working to expand our product line and bring our products to new markets on the Central Coast. We’ll be documenting these changes on this website, which will also soon contain descriptions of all of our products as well as photos of Schoch Dairy. In the near future, we are also hoping to offer tours of our farmstead.
If you would like to stay ahead of these developments, please enter your email in the form to the right, and we’ll keep you updated with the new content on this website as well as the dairy itself. In the meantime, feel free to explore our site to see our current sales locations, blog posts, and to learn about the history of Schoch Dairy.
Thank you and enjoy!
Stay Updated
Our Story
About Schoch Dairy
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.
Our Products
Expertly crafted to perfection
Where to find it?
Our Raw Milk is sold at both our Farmer’s Markets and select Grocery Stores.
What is it?
Raw Milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, or heat-treated, which is standard procedure for industrially-produced milk. Raw Milk is also non-homogenized, which allows for the milkfat to rise naturally to the top of the milk and form a distinct cream layer. The cream layer can be skimmed for other uses or gently shaken back into the milk.
Where to find it?
Our traditional Swiss-style yogurt is sold at both our Farmer’s Markets and select stores.
What is it?
The yogurt is made using unhomogenized whole milk and cultures…that’s it! The lower temperature and longer incubation time results in a delicate texture and also aids in a higher population of the added probiotic strains (acidophilus and bifidus species) as compared to the standard yogurt cultures.
Latest News
Schoch Dairy Featured on Kristy Downing Rocks
Schoch Dairy was featured on local food show Kristy Downing Rocks a few months ago, and now the feature is available on Youtube. Enjoy!
Congrats to Beau Schoch! (Photos)
Beau Schoch was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the California Artisan Cheese Guild! http://www.cacheeseguild.org/ Also, some photos of the cheesemaker in action: Beau stirs
What is a Family Farmstead?
Family Farmstead is a unique distinction for which very few farms qualify. First, and not surprisingly, a family farmstead must be owned and operated by a family. The Schochs
The Company’s Mission
Our goal is to increase our production of fine artisan cheeses, while systematically adding additional dairy products to our product line. We currently sell all cheese we produce with plenty of additional demand. In the short term we would also like to expand into bottled raw milk sales. We currently purchase all of our milk from Schoch Dairy, which is owned and operated by our father John Schoch. Schoch Dairy has been in business since 1944 and is one of our only two remaining cow dairies in Monterey County. We intend to diversify our products in the future to include yogurt and possibly kefir and butter. We aim to become a regionally recognized producer of quality dairy products for a community of people willing to pay a premium for fresh, local unadulterated food.