Clover Celebrates 100 Years and Debuts Organic Greek Yogurt

Clover Stornetta Farms, a third-generation family owned and operated California dairy, is celebrating 100 years in the business of making premium all-natural and organic dairy products. In celebration of its centennial anniversary, Clover is introducing its newest dairy delicacy, an Organic Greek Yogurt line to add to a palate of over 175 dairy products ranging from natural and organic milks to butter, cheese, craft ice cream and more.

Clover has had a long legacy working with local farms in Northern California for 100 years starting in 1916 when The Petaluma Cooperative Creamery began distributing Clover Brand dairy products to stores and customers in the Petaluma, Calif., area. As Petaluma and the rest of Sonoma and Marin counties continued to grow, so did the Co-op. Originally founded by Gene M. Benedetti, Clover is now a third generation, family owned and operated business with grandson Marcus Benedetti at the helm as CEO. More than eight years ago, Marcus Benedetti helped expand the business beyond Northern California, selling into Southern California specialty markets without sacrificing Clover quality.

“What sets us apart from other dairy producers is our innovative approach to the dairy business,” says Marcus Benedetti, Clover president and CEO. “We were the first dairy processor to elevate milk from a commodity to a specialty food by establishing the North Coast Excellence Certified (NCEC) program—setting some of the most rigorous standards in the dairy industry which surpass those of the state and federal governments. We were the first dairy to become American Humane Certified, said no to the synthetic growth hormone rSBT, and made an early entrance to provide and support organic dairy products.”

As part of this standard, Clover cows are raised on small, local family-owned farms that follow sustainable agriculture practices and tend small herds on spacious ranches, where the cows are well-treated and healthy. Clover farms are also American Humane Certified and must demonstrate environmental consciousness and stewardship of land. Clover milk is not from cloned cows and annual averages of bacteria counts meet National Centers for Environmental Prediction’s (NCEP) set standards.

In celebration of its centennial anniversary, Clover has launched its line of Organic Greek Yogurt made with Clover Organic Nonfat Milk and premium organic fruit. It is rich in protein, calcium, and contains five live cultures making for a healthy snack. It is authentically strained to create an extra smooth, creamy texture. The line’s flavors are fruit-forward, meaning organic fruit is second on the ingredient list behind Clover Organic Nonfat Milk. Clover Organic Greek Yogurt is made with Clover organic milk from humane-certified Clover cows living on family-owned dairy farms that are USDA Organic Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified.

“As we look to grow and attract new consumers, we look to different markets. We’ve seen Greek growing in the yogurt space for quite some time now and it is steadfast,” says Benedetti. “The quality of our organic milk, combined with the authentic nature in which our new Greek yogurt is made, will give us a strong entry into this arena.”

The yogurt line includes six new flavors—blueberry, strawberry, peach, black cherry, vanilla, and plain—in a 5.3-ounce (individual serving size) and is sold in local independent grocers, Whole Foods Market and Safeway Inc. Plain and vanilla flavors are also featured in a 32-ounce family size.