Evergreen Acres, a small goat dairy in Tres Pinos recently gained full certification as a Grade A Raw Milk Dairy. Mike and Jane Hulme, who run the dairy, have faced significant challenges in order to get certified by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
It took them three years of struggle with state agencies but Evergreen Acres Dairy announced this week that their Guernsey herd and dairy has achieved full certification to Grade A Raw Milk standards. They were recently approved by the CDFA (California Department of Food and Agriculture) and CDPH (California Department of Public Health) to operate.
The organic farm operation moved to a 36 acre property in San Benito County in 2011. The Hulmes had been running a private herd share program in San Jose but had been closed by the CDFA. Under their San Jose management system, people could own shares of goats and receive the dairy products their own animals produced. Jane Hulme said, “We had to stop providing milk privately to the owners of the goats despite the fact that no milk was sold publicly.”
With the support of Sallie Calhoun, owner of Paicines Ranch in San Benito County, the Hulmes were able to move their operation to a larger facility in Tres Pinos. The small dairy is located on Santa Anita Road and has a website with more information about the business and its history. The business delivers products every other week to drop locations in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Los Gatos, Palo Alto, San Mateo, San Francisco, Oakland and Hayward.
Since 2011, they have also become a certified cheese creamery and a certified processed food facility. Hulme notes that they are not yet certified organic but are on the CCOF list for certification. However, they use organic methods and Evergreen Acres is already listed organic in San Benito County.