Our Story
ALWAYS ORGANIC
Straus Family Creamery was founded by Albert Straus, whose father Bill established a dairy farm in the early 1940s on the shores of Tomales Bay with just 23 Jersey cows. His wife Ellen, a fellow farmer and environmentalist, joined him in 1950 — and their commitment to stewardship of the land shaped Albert deeply.
In 1994, Albert converted the dairy to Organic, making it the first Certified Organic dairy farm west of the Mississippi, and founded the Creamery as the first 100% Certified Organic creamery in the United States.
Straus History
1941
Bill Straus, Albert Straus’ father, begins dairy farming on the shores of Tomales Bay in Marshall, CA with 32 jersey cows.
1977
Albert Straus returns from college with a degree in dairy science and partners with his father to manage the family’s dairy farm. They began implementing environmentally sound practices such as no-till planting of silage crops without herbicides, preservation of riparian areas for biodiversity, and the elimination of all pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.
1980
Two environmentalists, Ellen Straus (Albert’s mother) and Phyllis Faber co-found the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), the first of its kind in the nation. MALT sets out to protect agricultural land for local production of food and fiber enabling the economic viability of farming in Marin County. This effort inspires Albert’s creation of a replicable, relationship-centered farming model intended to help sustain family farms in Marin and Sonoma Counties.
1994
1996
Joe and Kathy Tresch of Tresch Family Farms becomes the second organic dairy in California and the first independent suppliers of organic milk for Straus Family Creamery.
1997
Straus Family Creamery launches Organic European Style Yogurt, a smooth, pourable yogurt made with premium organic milk and live, active cultures. Unlike other yogurts, which are incubated inside their plastic cups, this yogurt is incubated in stainless-steel vats for superior taste and texture.
1998
Sue Conley and Peggy Smith begin sourcing organic milk from Straus Dairy to make delicious, fresh cheeses for their Point Reyes Station-based artisan cheese company, Cowgirl Creamery.
2003
Straus Family Creamery launches its first ice cream line with Vanilla Bean, Dutch Chocolate, and Raspberry. The ice cream is made using only organic egg yolks as a stabilizer and is considered super-premium, meaning it has less air and more cream in every pint.
2004
Albert Straus builds a methane digester at his dairy, which converts methane from cow manure to produce electricity and powers the entire farm and his electric vehicles.
2007
Straus Family Creamery launches the first organic Barista milk for specialty coffee and tea industry professionals who care as much about the origin of their dairy as they do their coffee beans and tea leaves. Straus worked closely with Baristas to test different homogenization pressures, ensuring the final product would meet the industry’s needs for higher quality foam and sweeter taste.
2010
After pioneering its own Non-GMO testing program in-house in 2008, Straus Family Creamery becomes the first creamery in the North America to produce Non-GMO Project Verified products.
2011
Straus Family Creamery launches artisanal, slow-cultured organic sour cream – the first Non-GMO Project Verified sour cream in the US – crafted in small batches using a traditional 16-hour vat-set process. Naturally smooth, rich and tangy, it’s made with only three ingredients.
2012
Straus Family Creamery launches the first organic & non-GMO Greek yogurt in the United States with organic milk and buttermilk, minimally processed with live, probiotic cultures then incubated in stainless steel vats before being strained to achieve its smooth, thick texture.
2013
Straus Dairy Farm is the first dairy farm in the United States to develop a carbon farm plan to reduce and sequester 2000 metric tons of CO2e every year. The plan includes the use of a methane digester, compost application, rotational grazing, planting hedgerows and wind breaks, and other efforts.
In partnership with Conscious Kitchen, Straus Family Creamery begins supplying organic milk to public schools in the region, initiating the installation of bulk milk dispensers to minimize food waste and enable better access to fresh, certified organic milk sourced directly from family farms in Marin and Sonoma Counties.
2017
With the goal of making a chocolate milk that tasted like melted chocolate ice cream, Straus Family Creamery launches delicious, lactose-free organic chocolate whole milk in glass bottles with only five ingredients and 38% less total sugar than other organic chocolate milk brands.
After 8 years of development, Albert launches the first full-scale electric truck powered by electricity derived from methane from cow manure, proving that there can be an environmentally friendly alternative to diesel-fueled trucks and serving as a symbol of the resourcefulness needed to fight climate change. Cows are powering the truck that feeds them!
2019
Straus Family Creamery is awarded TRUE Zero Waste Certification at the Gold level for diverting more than 1 million pounds of waste from landfills and the environment in 2018, becoming the first dairy company in the world to achieve this certification. The United States Green Business Council awards Straus with a regional leadership award to honor this effort.
2021
Straus Family Creamery moves the creamery from Marshall to a new 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Rohnert Park to better serve demand for organic dairy products and provide the infrastructure necessary to support the future of dairy farming in West Sonoma and Marin counties.
Straus Family Creamery participates in the first US commercial trial of red seaweed supplement for dairy cows, successfully reducing enteric methane emissions from cows by an average of 52% and up to 93%, illustrating that innovative dairy farming can substantially reduce its climate impact.
2024
Packaged in the brand’s iconic glass, Straus Family Creamery launches kefir, a cultured, fermented milk beverage packed with billions of probiotics – like yogurt, but with a drinkable consistency and more tangy taste.
Straus Family Creamery draws attention to the importance of supporting dairy farming in the region by publicly opposing Measure J, which (had it passed) could have forced local dairies out of business. The No on Measure J effort gained 85% of the vote, proving that local organic food and farms are important to the community.
In recognition of his groundbreaking work in sustainable dairy, Albert Straus represents U.S. organic dairy at the International Dairy Federation’s World Dairy Summit in Paris, France, where he joins global leaders in signing the Global Dairy Sustainability Declaration, acknowledging the role dairy products play in feeding the world and calling for bold, coordinated climate action and sustainability initiatives.
2025
Albert Straus is honored with the Organic Trade Association’s prestigious Organic Lifetime Achievement Award for being a pioneer in organic dairy farming and sustainable agriculture.
2026
All 12 Straus network farms complete Carbon Farm Plans with goals to become Carbon Neutral by 2030. These plans are strategic land-management plans designed to increase carbon sequestration (carbon stored in soil and vegetation) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
