What Cypress Grove does

Cypress Grove Chevre, Inc. is an artisanal goat cheese creamery founded in 1983 in Arcata, California by Mary Keehn, and currently operates as a privately held subsidiary of the Swiss diversified dairy group Emmi. The company produces a portfolio of specialty goat and sheep milk cheeses organized into soft-ripened (Humboldt Fog, Truffle Tremor, Buche de Cypress), fresh (Purple Haze, Ms. Natural, Herbs de Humboldt, PsycheDillic, Meyer Lemon & Honey, Hatch Chile, Olive & Herb, Sgt. Pepper), and aged categories (Midnight Moon, Lamb Chopper, Cheddar). Core production technology uses cultured pasteurized goat milk with microbial (vegetarian) rennet, with proprietary aging processes — notably Midnight Moon, which is aged six months or more in Holland. Cypress Grove holds registered trademarks across more than ten signature varieties and has earned American Cheese Society awards in 2023 and 2024, plus a 2024 SOFI Gold Award for Meyer Lemon & Honey.

The company's revenue model centers on one-time sales of physical cheese products through a hybrid go-to-market motion. Until April 2026, distribution relied on specialty retailers, foodservice, and the Goldbelly-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce site (which also powers corporate gifting); a landmark April 2026 distribution agreement with Target added 450+ mainstream retail stores nationwide. B2B support includes a Taste 'n' Train staff education program and a Cheese Wiz ambassador community, with consumer engagement layered through the Grover World newsletter, social channels, and a recipe library.

The customer base is hybrid: enterprise channel partners (Target, Goldbelly, regional retailers and foodservice operators) anchor distribution, while end consumers are specialty food enthusiasts and mainstream Target shoppers seeking vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free cheese for entertaining and cooking. As of May 2026, the company transitioned away from its company-owned dairy (selling all goats to human-certified partner dairies) and now operates an asset-light production model focused on cheesemaking expertise rather than agricultural operations.

Name

Cypress Grove

Legal name

Cypress Grove Chevre, Inc.

Website

https://cypressgrovecheese.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cypress Grove is a 1983-founded Arcata, California artisanal goat cheese creamery (subsidiary of Swiss dairy group Emmi) producing award-winning soft-ripened, fresh, and aged cheeses for retail, foodservice, direct-to-consumer, and corporate gifting channels across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Goat Cheese

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fresh/Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Unripened & Soft) (AFAHABAA)

Keywords

• Artisan goat cheese
• Soft-ripened cheese
• Aged goat cheese
• Fresh goat cheese
• Specialty cheese production

Headquarters

HQ city

Arcata

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cheese Product Sales: Sale of artisanal goat cheese products through retail partners and direct-to-consumer channels. Products include fresh cheeses, soft-ripened cheeses, and aged cheeses sold in various sizes and formats.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cypress Grove is an artisanal goat cheese creamery producing a portfolio of specialty cheeses organized into three categories: soft-ripened (e.g., Humboldt Fog, Truffle Tremor), fresh (e.g., Ms. Natural, Purple Haze, Meyer Lemon & Honey), and aged (e.g., Midnight Moon, Lamb Chopper, Cheddar). The company sells its cheeses through national retail (Target), specialty grocers, direct-to-consumer online ordering via Goldbelly, and corporate gifting, with all cheeses made from cultured pasteurized goat milk using microbial (vegetarian) rennet.

Product overview

Cypress Grove is an artisanal goat cheese creamery producing a diverse portfolio of specialty cheeses organized into three main categories: soft-ripened cheeses (Humboldt Fog®, Truffle Tremor®, Bermuda Triangle, Buche de Cypress), fresh cheeses (Ms. Natural®, Herbs de Humboldt®, PsycheDillic®, Purple Haze®, Sgt. Pepper®, Meyer Lemon & Honey, Hatch Chile, Olive & Herb), and aged cheeses (Midnight Moon®, Lamb Chopper®, Cheddar). The company also produces Fromage Blanc and offers corporate gifting and B2B training services. Founded in 1983 in Arcata, California by Mary Keehn, the company partners with Goldbelly for direct-to-consumer online ordering and has recently expanded into Target retail distribution with three signature varieties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Humboldt Fog Signature soft-ripened goat cheese from Humboldt County, California, featuring a distinctive ribbon of edible vegetable ash. Known for buttermilk and fresh cream notes with floral and herbaceous overtones. The company's flagship and award-winning product.
• Truffle Tremor Soft-ripened goat cheese infused with black truffle (Tuber aestivum), featuring heavy floral, herbaceous, and mushroom notes with a bloomy rind that ripens from the outside in.
• Midnight Moon Aged goat milk cheese made exclusively for Cypress Grove in Holland. Aged six months or more, this nutty, brown-buttery cheese with caramel finish develops protein crystals similar to Gouda for a slight crunch.
• Lamb Chopper Aged sheep milk cheese made exclusively for Cypress Grove in Holland. Aged three months, this buttery, smooth-textured cheese is nutty and subtly sweet, designed for excellent melting performance.
• Purple Haze Fresh goat cheese featuring a distinctive blend of lavender and hand-harvested fennel pollen, creating a tangy and subtly sweet flavor profile.
• PsycheDillic Fresh goat cheese with aromatic hand-harvested dill pollen, delivering surprising depth of flavor with a tart and bright finish. Recognized with ACS awards in 2018 and 2019 and World Cheese Championship recognition in 2020.
• Herbs de Humboldt Fresh goat cheese blended with fragrant dried Herbs de Provence, offering an earthy and classic herb flavor profile.
• Ms. Natural Pure fresh goat cheese made from perfectly cultured milk, offering a clean, tart, and tangy flavor without any goaty aftertaste. Recognized by the World Cheese Selection (WCS) Award.
• Olive & Herb Fresh goat cheese blended with savory green olives and rosemary, delivering a tangy California-style flavor.
• Meyer Lemon & Honey Fresh goat cheese featuring floral Meyer lemon balanced with delicate alfalfa honey, creating a tangy and slightly sweet flavor with California sunshine brightness. Winner of the 2024 SOFI Gold Award from the Specialty Food Association.
• Hatch Chile Fresh goat cheese with flame-roasted Hatch green chiles, combining earthy smoke notes with tangy brightness and mild spice.
• Cheddar Aged goat milk cheddar cheese, smooth and nutty with a slightly sharp flavor, aged two months or more for complex taste and excellent meltability.
• Corporate Gifting Curated corporate gifting service offering award-winning artisan cheese selections for client celebrations, employee rewards, and events, fulfilled through Goldbelly's corporate gifting platform. Targets businesses seeking premium, giftable cheese assortments.
• Taste 'n' Train B2B training program providing retail store teams with training materials, product information sheets, tasting notes, cutting guides, and cheese samples for self-paced staff education on Cypress Grove products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% scores from American Humane Association and Certified Humane for dairy operations

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• TargetflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2026Landmark distribution agreement bringing award-winning goat cheeses (Midnight Moon, Purple Haze, Sgt. Pepper) to over 450 Target stores across the United States beginning April 2026. Products will be available in Target's dairy aisle across key markets including California, Texas, Florida, Minnesota, Colorado, and Illinois. Partnership coincides with campaign promoting cheese board building.
• GoldbellycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline ordering partnership providing direct-to-consumer nationwide cheese shipping. Orders ship directly from Cypress Grove's creamery. Also handles corporate gifting orders for bulk purchases.
• EmmicoreOthersEmmi Group is the parent company of Cypress Grove Chevre, Inc. Terms and Conditions state user agreement is with Emmi. Privacy Policy indicates correspondence with other Emmi Group companies may apply.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rogue Creamery: Oregon-based artisan cheesemaker famous for award-winning blue cheese. Comparable as a U.S. specialty/award-driven cheese brand with strong national and export distribution.
• Beecher's Handmade Cheese: Artisan cheese maker (flagship Flagship cheese) with retail storefronts and national wholesale distribution. Comparable premium artisanal positioning and direct-to-consumer strength.
• Laura Chenel's Chevre: California-based goat cheese pioneer and one of Cypress Grove's most direct competitors in fresh and aged goat cheese across U.S. specialty and mainstream grocery channels.
• Vermont Creamery: Artisanal creamery specializing in fresh and aged goat and cow cheeses (e.g., Bijou, Coupole). Closely comparable to Cypress Grove in product mix, premium positioning, and U.S. specialty retail distribution; now owned by Land O'Lakes.
• Marin French Cheese: California-based maker of soft-ripened cheeses including traditional Brie and Camembert styles. Direct peer in soft-ripened craft cheese category and California artisanal heritage.
• Haystack Mountain: Colorado-based artisan cheesemaker known for goat and cow cheeses with strong specialty retail and foodservice presence. Comparable as a regional-to-national premium goat cheese brand.

Broad incumbents

• Saputo Inc. One of the largest dairy processors in North America with broad specialty and commodity cheese brands. Provides scale comparison and competitive context for Cypress Grove's specialty niche.
• Bel Brands USA (The Laughing Cow): Large dairy conglomerate subsidiary with broad packaged cheese portfolio. Relevant as a broad incumbent against whom Cypress Grove competes for dairy aisle shelf space.

Others

• Emmi Group: Swiss dairy conglomerate and parent of Cypress Grove. Comparable as both parent and broader dairy portfolio operator; relevant for benchmarking specialty cheese economics within a diversified group.

Regional players

• Mt. Vikos: Greek feta and goat cheese brand distributed in the U.S. specialty channel. Comparable as a goat/sheep cheese brand expanding in U.S. specialty retail, though primarily imported and not a direct U.S. manufacturer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CypressGrovers
• Facebookfacebook.com/cypressgrove
• Instagraminstagram.com/cypressgrovers
• Pinterestpinterest.com/cypressgrovers
• Xx.com/cypressgrovers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cypress Grove