Bringing Peace, Love and Dairy to the World

Jennifer Lynn Bice, Owner

Owner

In 1978, Jennifer Lynn Bice assumed ownership of Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery, Inc., the family farm and Grade A Goat Dairy her parents started in Sonoma County in 1968. Along with her late husband, Steven Schack, Jennifer expanded the business to produce a greater variety of goat milk products, and diversified the dairy goat-breeding program. In 2010, Jennifer once again diversified the business. This time with a new kind of dairy and under a new brand name "Green Valley Organics", the first lactose free cow dairy products to be available nationwide.

Redwood Hill Farm is owned and operated by Jennifer along with 57 dedicated employees. Promoting the benefits of goat milk products and developing a genetics program of excellence remain her top priorities, and this commitment has positioned Redwood Hill at the forefront of the dairy goat industry. Jennifer's expertise crafting fine goat milk products gave her an extensive background in creating products for sensitive stomachs. She knew that many people out there were lactose intolerant and searching for options.  This gave her the motivation to provide these people with more choices. She knew lactose free dairy yogurt and kefir would have a strong niche, just like her goat's milk products. That is how her pride and joy, Redwood Hill Farm, gave birth to Green Valley Organics.

Satisfying & Sustainable
Quality and sustainability have remained Jennifer's guiding principles throughout the years. The most recent example is a new 2,548 panel solar energy system encompassing nearly two acres of roof space on the creamery that offsets the projected energy needs of the facility.  Redwood Hill Farm also holds the distinction of being the first goat dairy in the United States to be Certified Humane®, which is considered the gold standard in third-party certification for humane animal treatment.  From artisan cheeses consistently awarded in national competitions, to superior goat milk yogurt and kefir, to a dairy goat breeding program that has brought her national acclaim, Jennifer remains true to her vision of providing a satisfying and sustainable lifestyle for the farm, the goats and all of her employees.

Nationally Recognized
Her goats are consistent award winners at shows throughout the country, and Jennifer was named Premier Breeder by the American Dairy Goat Association (ADGA) at its 2012 National Show, for the 6th time.  She has served as a dairy goat judge throughout the United States and Canada for more than 31 years and holds the distinct honor of being selected to judge the ADGA National Show seven times. Jennifer is chair of the Judges Training Committee and serves on various ADGA committees such as Linear Appraisal, Products, and Annual Meeting.  She is a past board member of the American Cheese Society (ACS) and was inducted into the ACS Academy of Cheese in 2011 as one of the 8 pioneers of artisan goat cheese in the U.S.  She currently serves on the Scholarship Committee.

A Global Perspective
At the International Conference on Goats in France, Jennifer had the opportunity to learn about the dairy goat industry from a global perspective as well as dairying and cheese production in the country that continues to lead the world in the development of fine goat milk cheese.

Jennifer lives in her new home, an extension of the goat dairy, with her partner Don and their dogs Pia and Gypsy.

Atanas Draganski, Creamery Plant Manager / COO

Atanas began milking goats at Redwood Hill Farm in 1997 after emigrating from Bulgaria. Bringing with him a B.A. in Agricultural Economics, Atanas has done it all at the farm and creamery - from milking goats, making cheese and yogurt, delivering products to stores, and now, overseeing the creamery and its employees!

As Chief Operations Officer, Atanas is responsible for supervising the managers of our culured products and cheese production, in addition to Wareouse, Quality Assurance, Sanitation, and Maintenance departments to ensure that our yogurt, kefir, and cheeses are delicious and produced safely.  He is also in charge of our Information Technology Department and keeps our computers working well and up-to-date.  Additionally, he supervises the computer programming of equipment and our telephone and security systems.

His hard work, dedication and enthusiasm have vaulted him to the top of operations, and he’s living the “American dream” with Zlatina and their daughter, Alexandra. When he’s not working, Atanas enjoys spending time with his family, playing soccer and tennis, and his computers.

Darlene Hawley, CPA / CFO

Darlene, a Sonoma County native, joined the Redwood Hill Farm team in early 2011. She had six years of private accounting experience and thirteen years of public accounting experience prior to joining the accounting team at Redwood Hill Farm. Darlene had provided services in individual, partnership and corporate taxation, financial accounting and consulting during those years in public practice. Darlene is a graduate of Sonoma State University and a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. She also is a member of the Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise group and a board member of the Sonoma Humane Society in Santa Rosa, CA.

"My experience in public accounting has allowed me to work in a variety of fields with a variety of clients. I enjoy continuing my connection with the dairy industry, as my father was a part of this industry his entire working career both in the Azores and after immigrating to the US. On a more personal note, I enjoy all the wonders that Sonoma County has to offer and spending time with my dogs. I also, enjoy traveling, many outdoor activities and live theatre."

Nancy, a northern California native, worked in wine industry sales and marketing for 23 years.  She has been deeply involved with Wine Road-Northern Sonoma County, a marketing association of more 200 top wineries and lodgings, as board member since 2000 and as President from 2006-2010. Since 2010, she has also enjoyed membership in the Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise.

Both creative and practical, Nancy has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Academy of Art University. She attributes most of her professional success to working with her father in his wholesale and retail businesses, and later, to on-the-job training at every position she has held since. As the newest addition to our Senior Management team, Nancy will lead the Sales and Marketing departments to achieve the ambitious vision and goals of Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery.

Sharon Bice, Communications Manager / Graphic Artist

Sharon Bice, Redwood Hill Farm Marketing Communications Manager – Sharon grew up with dairy goats and her 9 siblings on the family farm her parents founded in Sebastopol in 1968. In addition to overseeing advertising, public relations, social media and promotions for Redwood Hill Farm and its new Green Valley Organics Lactose Free dairy lines, she serves as resident artist, photographer and food stylist.

Sharon’s interests include painting, photography, live music, and gardening in her west county home on the Russian River which she shares with her canine companion "Crissy". She is a past board member for Community Support Network and former Editor of the Redwood Empire Dairy Goat Association newsletter, "Goat Notes".

Marketing & Community Relations

L-R: Nancy Lorenz, David Bice

Nancy Lorenz was a longtime fan of Redwood Hill before joining the Marketing Team in 2011. Previously, she worked at Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies and The Press Democrat. As assistant to Marketing and Communications Manager Sharon Bice, Nancy enjoys working on a wide variety of projects, including photography, social media, packaging, internal signage and graphics and literature for sales and marketing. Nancy enjoys her short bike commute from Graton, where she lives with her husband Dave and one cat. They have one grown daughter, Amelia.

David Bice grew up at Redwood Hill Farm and still likes to brag about winning a 4-H Showmanship class as a 12-year old with his champion Saanen goat named Darcy!  These days, David represents the farm at many culinary events and non-profit fundraisers, while serving our cheeses and telling the story of Redwood Hill.  He's also the "milkman", loading and delivering fresh goat milk from our dairy to our creamery, three miles away.  He's also the farm gardener and administers our Facebook page, with daily photos of the happy goats and farm.  David returned to the family farm in 2008 after living in Hawaii where he operated his own plant nursery, did landscape installations for oceanfront homes, and had a 21-year career in radio, as "David Bice in Paradise".  His spare time goes to gardening, hiking, fishing, LandPaths Sonoma County, KOWS fm & KWTF community radio stations.

Dori Schack, Marketing Representative

After receiving a B.A. in psychology from UC Santa Cruz and falling deeply in love with coastal northern California, Dori stayed on campus for 3 more decades as a program manager, event planner/coordinator, and the writer/producer of print and online marketing communications. A fan of farmer’s markets and “slow food,” she joined the company in 2010 to promote our outstanding products to natural food and specialty store managers, as well as customers, in and near the Central Coast.

Dori is the sister of the late Steven Schack who, with Jennifer Bice, co-founded Redwood Hill Farm, so she brings enthusiasm and family pride to her job. When she’s not evangelizing for RHF/GVO, she enjoys brisk outdoor walks, documentary films, long conversations, and her family: husband Rick, and two sons.

Julie Foley, Administrative Services Manager

Julie joined the Redwood Hill team in July of 2009 and has made a positive impact in our administative office.  Julie has a B.S. Degree in business and has experience with contract negotiation as well as event planning and management.

Sonoma County has been her home since 1994. She lives in Sebastopol with her husband Jim, their son J.T., daughter Cassidy, and a black Lab named Stella Blue.

A Wisconsin native, she is a Green Bay Packers fan (we love cheeseheads!), enjoys cooking (and eating), good wine and gardening.

Alexandra Aceves, Customer Service Manager

Since 2005, Alex has been the heart of our office, facilitating communication between departments, answering customer questions with enthusiasm and most recently, managing our Customer Service office. In her spare time, Alex loves to dance and enjoys reading.

Alex and her new husband, Jose, reside in the local town of Graton.  Her favorite quote is, “Do what you do so well that they want to see it again and bring their friends.”  Alex obviously takes this quote to heart because it is a pleasure to watch her "in action".

Customer Service

L to R: Shelley Mills and Augusta Bates

Augusta joined our customer service team in June 2010 after graduating from the University of California Santa Barbara with a degree in Communication, just in time for the launch of our Green Valley Organics product line. An avid dog lover and frequent concert-goer, she studied abroad in South Africa and loves traveling to new countries. She also volunteers as a delivery angel for the Ceres Community Project, a local organization she became involved with after processing Redwood Hill Farm's Kefir donation orders. Aside from working with an amazing group of co-workers every day, Augusta looks forward to Redwood Hill's annual Farm Tours and the Fancy Food show because she gets to interact face-to-face with our awesome customers and business partners.

Shelley is the newest member of the customer service team but has been training for this position since she was 10 years old. Shelley is the middle child of 10 children in the Bice family and loves being back in the middle of the family business!  Shelley studied Land Use and Environmental Planning at U.C. Davis and worked as a Planner for Sonoma County for 10 years and 4 years for the City of St. Helena. "Mom always told me I should be helping Jennifer with the business and she was right. I am amazed at the sense of pride by our co-workers and the love from our customers which makes working for the family business very rewarding. The products we make, events we put on, and the projects we work on together feel less like work and more like living life to the fullest!"  In her spare time, Shelley makes handcrafted goat milk soap with raw milk from Redwood Hill Farm. "Goat milk is so good for your body - inside and out!  Alpha-hydroxy acids contained in goat milk are believed to have rejuvenating effects on skin cells and the rich butterfat softens and moisturizes."

Georgi Karabelov, Dairy Scientist

Georgi studied to be a veterinarian in Bulgaria and we are lucky to have him here at Green Valley Organics!  He started in 2004 working on the farm and milking goats and has worked his way through every position at the Creamery.  Bulgarians are proud to be famous for their yogurt and Georgi takes that to heart in his position now as the Dairy Scientist of Cultured Products.  As one customer put it, “Your yogurt is my little daily bowl of heaven that I crave as soon as I get out of bed in the morning.”  Georgi’s studies come in handy with his varied duties in dairy technology, microbiology of the milk and dairy products, and quality control.

Georgi and his wife Gergana, have two children, Pavel - age 8 and Dohna - age 7.  Pavel may be following in his Dad's footsteps - he came up with some very scientific questions at the Take your Kids to Work Day!  Georgi likes to spend his spare time fishing and hiking, and enjoys photography and computer science.

Yogurt Production Team

Here is the team responsible for our delicious, award-winning goat milk yogurt!

L to R: Georgi Karabelov (Dairy Scientist), Omar Solorio, Jesus Pacheco (Supervisor), Ventura Ventura, Fortunato Hernandez, Juan Rodriguez, Gustavo Mosqueda, Alfredo Monter-Jacinto, and Leonardo Garduno.

Kefir Production Team

The Kefir Production Team takes great pride in making our nutritious and delicious probiotic kefir each week. They know to give 100% all the time because our product will be consumed by everyone including our families!  Our promise as a team is to always work together with respect, integrity, and commitment to excellence.

L to R: Juan Carlos, Willie Ramirez, Jeff Sims, Benjamin Vazquez, and Luis Gonzales (Supervisor).

Quality Control Team

L to R: Cecelia Avalos-Flores and Ann Caswell (Supervisor).

Ann leads our quality assurance team.  She has a Dairy Science BS degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, California. Sonoma County has been her home for over 14 years.  Ann has 15 years quality assurance experience in food manufacturing and winery facilities.  In her spare time, Ann enjoys spending time with her children Henna and Kyle.  Her hobbies include hiking, Tai Chi, and traveling.

Ceci has lived in Sonoma County for over 23 years.  She has over 20 years experience in food manufacturing facilities. In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her two grandsons Giovanni and Danielito.  Ceci also volunteers her time to help other people through her church, St. Sebastians.

Shipping & Warehouse Team

The indispensable crew that maintains our warehouse and preps our cheese, yogurt and kefir for shipping - L to R: Rosa Alcantar, Rodolfo Pacheco (Supervisor), Gamaliel Solis, and Remigio Garcia.

Rosa joined the Warehouse team in 2005 when it first opened at the current location in the old apple cannery - she says "I am very happy and lucky to be working here at Redwood Hill Farm" - I think we are the lucky ones!  She enjoys spending her spare time with her two children, 8-year old Eddy & 3-year old Tyra, and her husband, Wences. All of us at Redwood Hill love to enjoy Rosa's delicious homemade chocolate flan cake!

Rudy joined the Warehouse team in 2008 and was recently promoted to the Warehouse Supervisor - he keeps things running smoothly! Goats are a part of life for Rudy, born in Guanajuato, Mexico. His grandfather gave him his first goat when he was 5 years old and his grandfather is still a goat herder at 80 years of age!  Rudy has two children, 10-year old Estrella and 8-year old son Rio who loves to eat goat yogurt every day. 

Gama has worked for the Warehouse team for 7 years, is a very hard worker, and he always has a happy attitude!  He wants to retire from Redwood Hill Farm in a few years to go back home and visit his grandfather who lives by the ocean. It will be very tough to find someone to fill Gama's shoes. Gama hopes to open his own business one day and enjoys thrift store shopping for items for his new business. 

Remi is the newest member of the Warehouse team, hired in 2012. He fits right in, always willing to help out and a fast learner - We enjoy working with him!

Creamery Sanitation Team

Meet our creamery Sanitation crew, L to R:
David Munoz, Marcelo Aguirre, Manuel Ruiz, and Leobardo Gamino (Supervisor).

These guys work as a team to ensure our creamery is sanitary, spotless, and spiffy. This is a very important job because everything begins and ends with sanitation. The production of our wonderful products depends on an excellent job done by this team! 

Jim Coyle, Creamery Maintenance Manager

Jim brings an extensive engineering maintenance background to Redwood Hill Creamery, having been involved in the fabrication and maintenance of automatic production machinery since 1969, and has been responsible for the managing of mechanical maintenance teams at food production facilities since 1999.

Our Maintenance Manager since 2010, Jim leads our creamery mechanical team, manages our parts inventory control and our preventative maintenance schedules to keep things running smoothly. He's a skilled tradesperson whose work here at the Redwood Hill Creamery is instrumental in keeping all of our production facility equipment operating efficiently. 

Jim and his wife Lori are both enjoy living in West Sonoma County, having migrated here in 2002 from Humboldt County. Jim's hobby is restoring and riding bicycles and motorcycles.

Creamery Maintenance & Mechanics

Responsible for keeping it running smooth at the creamery day  in and day out are L to R:
Andrew Rivera, Dan Tensfeldt, and Mike Jay

Andrew is the newest member of the Maintenance team. He brings an extensive background in welding experience and the aloha spirit to the team!

Dan Joined the team in October of 2012 as our Refrigeration Specialist. He worked in building construction and refrigeration following an earlier career in lithography.  We are now able to handle all refrigeration projects in house with Dan on our team. Dan enjoys spending time with his family and volunteers with the Russian River Wild Steelhead Society to educate young people to be good watershed stewards!

Mike joined the team in January of 2010 as a mechanic after a 20-year career in building construction. He keeps both our building and production line equipment in shape, performing preventative service and construction. A lifetime resident of Sebastopol who married his high school sweetheart, he enjoys "living local" with his wife Lori, their 21-year old son Nicholas, 18-year old daughter Kaitlyn, their Lab Trix and their wiener dog Blue. Mike enjoys barbequing, hiking, block parties and Halloween!

The youngest of 10 children in the Bice family, Scott Bice is proud to be part of the family business his parents founded in 1968 at Redwood Hill Farm & Creamery. Back on the farm since 2001, Scott has worn many hats, including Warehouse & Shipping Manager and Cheese Plant Manager. Under Scott's supervision, Redwood Hill Farm became the first Certified Humane Goat Dairy in the United States.

Scott raises his own Lamancha and Saanen dairy goats under the Vineyard View herd name and is happy with the breeding program’s growing success. Scott has been a licensed judge with the American Dairy Goat Association since 2010 and enjoys traveling throughout the country on judging assignments. 

Scott and his wife, Cristi feel fortunate to be able to live and raise their two children, Nicole and Colton, on the farm. The family enjoys the many aspects of a homesteading lifestyle, including raising their own pigs, meat chickens and egg layers. Scott’s hobbies include cheese making, tennis and trail running. Scott also enjoys writing and is excited to be creatively teaching the public more about dairy goats on Redwood Hill Farm’s new blog,The Bleat Beat.

Steve Considine, Dairy Manager

Steve grew up in a dairy goat-raising family in south central Wisconsin. Thirty some years ago he relocated to Sonoma County and became the first employee at Redwood Hill Farm.  In those days, forty goats were milked by hand and bottling was done with a hand operated bottler for local distribution of raw goat milk. The most sophisticated technology back then was a fork and wheelbarrow. But Steve shared the vision that someday the business would expand and be a financial success, and feels very gratified to see that dream come true.

Steve has always maintained a small select group of Saanens as part of the herd, which trace back to does that he started milking in 1952 when he was five years old. Two of these does were National Champions in 2010 and 2012. His life membership in the American Dairy Goat Association ranks tenth in seniority; he has been a licensed dairy goat judge for 47 years. Steve has dairy goat friends around the world whom he has visited. He has written about dairy goats for many years, with one book to his credit, and is regularly featured in "United Caprine News".  Steve is currently working on a history of dairy goat registry activity in the United States.

Farm Team

L to R: Crist Lind, Dominique Weaver, Veronica Weaver, Michael Giacomelli, and Amber Hall - Assistant Farm Manager

Although coming from a variety of backgrounds, the Redwood Hill Farm Team shares the common goal of maintaining one of the top show and milking dairy goat herds in the country.  They strive for a commitment of sustainability and diversification of our family farm in beautiful Sonoma County.