Valley View Dairy, operated by Eugene and Christine Camozzi and family, has been part of Sonoma County’s agricultural fabric since the early 1900s, when each of Eugene and Christine Camozzi’s grandfathers immigrated from Italy to Northern California and began working in agriculture, eventually settling in Sonoma County where they established their own dairies. Today, Eugene and Christine operate the farm with their daughter Kate Bello, alongside support from Kate’s twin sister, Kelley Vevoda, and sister Maria Roth—all of whom grew up working on the family dairy farm alongside their parents.
The Camozzis farm 2,000 acres of certified organic land in Petaluma and milk around 500 Holstein cows. They have long practiced rotational grazing, moving cows through paddocks to promote healthy soils and consistent milk quality. That commitment to pasture-based farming made the transition to certified organic in 2006 both natural and pivotal for the dairy. “Going organic really saved the dairy for us,” says Eugene Camozzi. “It allowed us to focus on what we’ve always believed in — raising cows on pasture and producing milk in a way that works for our land and supports our community.”
The Camozzis continue to invest in the land and the future of their operation. In addition to a weeping wall manure system installed in 2017, Eugene recently completed a compost pad with the assistance of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). These are highly effective management solutions for small family-sized dairy farms seeking to improve organic soil health and reduce environmental impact.
