From two goats to national shelves; Mary Keehn shares the story of Cypress Grove

From two goats to national shelves; Mary Keehn shares story of Cypress Grove ARCATA, Calif. — What began as a way to support a family in Humboldt County has grown into one of the most recognized names in artisan cheese. In 1983, Mary Keehn founded Cypress Grove after years of raising goats and searching for a way to use excess milk while supporting her four daughters as a single mother. Keehn said the company grew out of necessity, not a plan to build a nationally recognized brand. “I was a single mom with four daughters and needed a way to make a living,” Keehn said. Before founding Cypress Grove, Keehn spent years raising and showing award-winning goats across the country. That experience eventually led her to cheesemaking when she found herself with more milk than her family could use. “So, being a child of a Depression-era mom, I never wanted to waste anything, so I started making cheese at home in my kitchen, and then we had too much milk, and it’s that old story of what do you do with what you have,” Keehn said. The company was founded during a time when goat cheese had little popularity in the United States. Keehn said many consumers were unfamiliar with the product and often hesitant to try it. “In '83, people didn’t like goat cheese,” she said. “They would like back up if you said goat cheese.” Despite those early challenges, Cypress Grove grew into one of the pioneering companies in the U.S. goat cheese industry. Keehn said only a handful of producers were making goat cheese nationwide at the time, and the company later earned recognition for helping establish the industry in the United States. A major turning point came during a trip to France, where Keehn was introduced to new cheesemaking techniques and styles. The experience inspired the creation of Humboldt Fog, which would go on to become Cypress Grove’s signature cheese. Keehn said the idea did not emerge from a carefully crafted business plan. Instead, inspiration struck unexpectedly. “It was on the way home, I had a dream of Humboldt Fog, as I do most of my things. People do it in the shower, but I do it in the dreams,” she said. The cheese would go on to earn international awards and become one of Cypress Grove’s most recognizable products. Keehn said the name came from the way the line of edible ash spreads through the cheese. “When you slice Humboldt fog, it, the ash will feather down into the white part of the cheese a little bit, and it reminded me of the fog in Humboldt,” she said. National attention followed after Humboldt Fog was featured in The New York Times. Keehn said demand quickly increased, helping introduce the company to customers across the country. “Before that, we were pretty much giving it to friends of ours from France, because nobody would buy it,” Keehn said. “But once you hit the New York Times, all of a sudden, it was a popular cheese.” Today, Cypress Grove employs more than 70 people and distributes its cheeses across the country. But Keehn said the company's success was the result of a team effort rather than the work of any one person. Among those she credits most is Pamela Dressler, a Cornell University graduate who joined Cypress Grove as general manager and helped steer the company's growth for years. Keehn said their complementary skills allowed the business to expand while staying true to the values on which it was founded. When the time came to sell Cypress Grove, Keehn said finding the right buyer was one of the toughest decisions she faced. Preserving the company's culture, supporting its employees and maintaining its commitment to the community were top priorities. More than a decade later, Keehn said she is proud of how the company has evolved. Many longtime employees remain with Cypress Grove, new cheeses continue to be developed and the company still operates in Humboldt County. “It’s like your kid going off to college and getting to go to the best college in the nation,” Keehn said. For Keehn, the company’s legacy extends beyond the cheese itself. “It’s been able to feed families here in Humboldt, contribute to the community,” she said. “Those are the things. Cheese is a vehicle for doing good, I think.” --