There’s a good chance you’ve encountered Cypress Grove without realizing just how unique its origin story is.
Back in the 1970s, when convenience foods were king and dinner could come with a packet of seasoning and a side of rubbery orange “cheese,” Mary Keehn was looking for something a little more wholesome for her kids. A self-described “serious hippie,” single mom, and soon-to-be cheesemaker, Mary’s path started rather unexpectedly.
After spotting a neighbor’s goats, Mary was given a simple proposition: if she could catch them, they were hers. So she lured Esmeralda and Hazel with grain, and just like that, the foundation of Cypress Grove was in place. Two goats became four, then more, and with an increasingly abundant supply of milk, Mary started making cheese.
By 1983, Cypress Grove was officially up and running in Humboldt County, California. But Mary wasn’t content to simply make goat cheese—she wanted to understand what great cheesemaking could be. She headed to France, tasting her way through the country’s legendary bries, camemberts, morbier and other classics before returning home with a head full of ideas.
And somewhere over the Atlantic, inspiration struck.
Mary imagined a cheese with a bold line of ash running through it, a visual nod to the fog that regularly blankets Humboldt County’s rugged coastline. That dream became Humboldt Fog®, a soft-ripened goat cheese that would go on to become one of the most recognizable American originals in the category.
Humboldt Fog’s creamy texture, fresh cream and buttermilk notes, floral and herbaceous character, and clean citrus finish helped demonstrate just how expressive goat cheese could be. As it matures, its cream line develops and the flavor becomes more pronounced.
From there, Cypress Grove built a lineup that gives goat cheese plenty of room to roam. Midnight Moon®, aged for six months or more and made exclusively for Cypress Grove in Holland, leans into nutty, brown-butter and caramel flavors, with a subtle crunch from naturally occurring protein crystals. Purple Haze® takes a more aromatic route, combining fresh goat cheese with lavender and hand-harvested fennel pollen for a sweet-tangy, distinctly memorable bite.
The company’s approach to dairy has evolved, too. Cypress Grove built its own dairy in 2010 with animal care and education at the forefront, earning 100% scores from the American Humane Association and Certified Humane. In May 2026, the company transitioned away from its company-owned dairy as it shifts its focus toward long-term cheesemaking growth. Its goats were sold to Certified Humane dairies, and Cypress Grove says its team will continue visiting and working with its dairy partners to help maintain those standards.
More than four decades after two goats helped set the whole thing in motion, Cypress Grove is still evolving. The company’s story is ultimately one of American cheesemaking doing what it does best: taking inspiration from tradition, adding a strong sense of place, and making something that feels entirely its own.