Fruity and Lactose-Free Yogurt

Harvest Market recently completed our collection of lactose-free yogurts with all four flavors of Green Valley’s certified organic and humane yogurts!

What’s in Store?

Strawberry Yogurt – Organic strawberries add a fresh and sweet fruit flavor, which balances perfectly with the subtle tartness of this classic yogurt. A kids’ favorite, it makes a great item for school lunches and afternoon snacks.
Blueberry Yogurt – Made with luscious organic blueberries, the tanginess of the yogurt and the sweet berries enhance and complement one another just so. Whether you like to stir-it-up or dig-in-deep, it will astound your taste buds.
Vanilla Yogurt – Aromatic, organic, bourbon vanilla beans complement the subtle sweetness and enhance the creaminess of our yogurt. The rich, appealing taste is accented by a clean, crisp finish, which makes this yogurt one you will want to enjoy often. Whether you have lactose sensitivity or not, this is as good as real vanilla yogurt gets.
Plain Yogurt – The plain lactose free yogurt is a natural choice for breakfast or a snack and makes a great substitute in recipes calling for sour cream or buttermilk: try it in baked goods, smoothies and desserts. Because there is no added sugar, you are invited to feel good about enjoying healthful nutrition of cultured dairy and nothing else.

About Green Valley

Green Valley’s lactose-free, organic milk journey actually began with goats. At the heart of Green Valley Creamery lactose-free dairy products is Jennifer Bice, a master cheesemaker and expert goat breeder, and her 50 year young venture, Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery — a delicious line of artisanal goat’s milk products which we also proudly carry at Harvest Market! Located in beautiful Sonoma County in Northern California, Redwood Hill Farm and Creamery was founded by Jennifer in 1968. Jennifer’s farm is populated by 300 goats, all individually named, who trot right over to her when she calls.

Out of a deep commitment to delicious dairy, which is such a beloved food in the American diet, Jennifer and her team felt inspired to create a few lactose-free cow milk products in 2010 – starting with yogurt and kefir, and later sour cream and cream cheese. When you start out with lactose-free milk, it takes a careful approach to culture it into traditional yogurt and cream cheese. That’s when Redwood’s expert knowledge of how to handle goat milk came in handy, which is much more delicate than cow milk. Green Valley works with local family farmers whose organic and humane certified dairy cows graze the lush pastures Sonoma County.

Being Lactose-Free

Out of a deep commitment to delicious dairy, which is such a beloved food in the American diet, Green Valley felt inspired to create a few lactose-free cow milk products in 2010 – starting with yogurt and kefir, and later sour cream and cream cheese. When you start out with lactose-free milk, it takes a careful approach to culture it into traditional yogurt and cream cheese. That’s when their expert knowledge of how to handle goat milk came in handy, which is much more delicate than cow milk.

Working with local family farmers whose organic dairy cows graze the lush pastures of the Green Valleys in Sonoma County, Jennifer had a plentiful supply to make her idea a reality on the grocery shelf. Bringing back the joy of dairy into people’s lives has always been our motivation and this is how the journey of Green Valley Creamery lactose-free dairy began.

There are more lactose-intolerant and lactose-sensitive people in America than gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian people combined – an estimated 30-50 million – that’s 12% of the population. It’s not a very outspoken community and most seem to have just stopped eating dairy altogether.

With this in mind, the folks at Green Valley sought out to serve this community, our community, and bring back the indulgence and joy of real dairy to our lives. And of course they do this the way they have always been making dairy: With utmost care and respect for the animals who provide the milk, farming organically, made with clean and fewest ingredients possible, and 100% powered with renewable energy.

Visit Green Valley’s website for more reading and resources on the topic of Lactose Intolerance.

FODMAP Friendly, Too

In 2017, Green Valley Creamery became the first real dairy brand to be certified as FODMAP Friendly. Because their dairy products don’t contain lactose—a disaccharide that many Americans have trouble digesting—they are naturally safe to eat for people who are following a low-FODMAP diet and trying to minimize uncomfortable IBS-type digestive symptoms.

Green Valley’s Dairy Farmers

The certified organic milk used in Green Valley’s lactose-free yogurts and kefirs comes from Diamond W Ranch, a trusted Certified Humane® farm in the heart of Sonoma County, located north of San Francisco along the California coast. The family who runs the farm at Diamond W Ranch has been in dairying for generations, and the farmers take great care in raising their animals and being good stewards of the land. Their herd of Holstein dairy cows roams on hundreds of acres of rolling hills.

For decades, Sonoma County was considered the “milk shed” for the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and its deeply-rooted tradition of artisan food innovation has made the area one of the nation’s most diverse food sheds today. The Sonoma County climate, so similar to the Mediterranean with its warm summers and mild winters, offers lush, green winter pastures that are among the richest grasslands in the country. This provides the perfect nourishment for Green Valley’s humanely-raised dairy cows. The county’s year-round fog drip contributes to verdant grasses and provides the ideal sustenance for the world’s tallest trees: coastal California’s majestic redwoods.