Stepladder Ranch & Creamery

Stepladder Ranch & Creamery We make small-batch, award-winning cheese on our farm on California's Central Coast! Our creamery is simply an old idea reimagined.

Stepladder Ranch was founded in 1871 and has been family-owned and operated for three generations. In addition to our farmstead creamery, we raise old spot heritage pigs for pork and grow Haas avocados, a wide variety of citrus and rare subtropical fruits. About 100 years ago, our ranch was a part of the Harmony Valley Creamery Association, a network of immigrant Swiss and Italian dairy farmers th

at grazed cattle on the lush coastal valleys of San Luis Obispo County. This Association was born out of a drought that forced ranchers to rethink how to make a living off of their land; a concept quite similar to the current situation we find ourselves in today. Head Dairyman and Cheesemaker, Jack first discovered his love for goats after visiting a goat dairy in Northern California with his sister. Shortly thereafter, he began procuring fresh goat milk and making his own cheeses at home while working at a tech startup in Palo Alto. Quickly finding himself drawn to cheesemaking more than anything else, Jack decided to purchase his own goats and move to Stepladder Ranch to take over his grandfather’s ranch operations and build a creamery and dairy. Jack’s connection to his goats is greatly apparent, and the cheese he makes is a result of the strong relationship and bond he has built with his herd today. To learn more about our creamery, purchase our cheese, or inquire about a creamery tour, visit www.stepladdercreamery.com. All tours are booked online at: https://stepladdercreamery.tocktix.com/

Even after 10 years, it never gets old getting to hold a newborn baby goat 😊
03/17/2026

Even after 10 years, it never gets old getting to hold a newborn baby goat 😊

Happy 10th birthday, Vanilla! 🥳 This is our most senior doe, the grandma of the herd. She's been retired for a few years...
03/02/2026

Happy 10th birthday, Vanilla! 🥳 This is our most senior doe, the grandma of the herd. She's been retired for a few years now, which means she spends her days relaxing, eating, and sleeping. She still loves going on long walks to forage alongside her lifelong herdmates, including many of her daughters and granddaughters.

Our first kids have arrived! This brother and sister pair were born to Miso this week and look just like mom! Miso was b...
02/27/2026

Our first kids have arrived! This brother and sister pair were born to Miso this week and look just like mom! Miso was born here on the ranch in 2023 and this is her second kidding. All 3 are healthy and thriving!

02/12/2026

It’s almost that time of year! We’re expecting our first kids of the season in just a couple weeks, with more due throughout March and a few in April. Spring is a wonderful time to visit the ranch, meet these babies, and see where it all begins. We hope to see you soon!

From curds to wheels >>> Curds are cut, stirred, and gently heated to release whey. Then they’re carefully packed into m...
01/13/2026

From curds to wheels >>> Curds are cut, stirred, and gently heated to release whey. Then they’re carefully packed into molds by hand to form the wheels. Once they've been pressed and released from the mold, many go into a brine that helps season, firm the rind, and protect the cheese. From there, each flavor gets its own custom aging treatment to finalize the flavor.

One of our favorite off-the-farm Winter adventures is foraging for chanterelles 🍄✨ We love exploring California’s coasta...
01/06/2026

One of our favorite off-the-farm Winter adventures is foraging for chanterelles 🍄✨ We love exploring California’s coastal forests and bringing home these golden goodies to cook up in the kitchen. A tasty way to stay connected to the land we love! 🌲💛

Cedar at dusk. The nights start to stretch out this time of year, and our guardian dogs stay watchful through every hour...
12/15/2025

Cedar at dusk. The nights start to stretch out this time of year, and our guardian dogs stay watchful through every hour. So thankful for them!

12/12/2025

Quick tip on these containers for your next cheese board or holiday spread.

One of the things that makes us unique is our late season avocado crop. We stretch them out as long as we can to get the...
12/10/2025

One of the things that makes us unique is our late season avocado crop. We stretch them out as long as we can to get the creamiest, richest avocados possible, usually wrapping up between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This marks our last avocado harvest, and we saved the best for last. This is a Nabal avocado -- also called the Rancher's Secret -- they are amazingly creamy and huge! This one is almost 2 pounds. Find them in a limited release at our Bay Area Farmers markets for just the next two weekends.

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Cambria, CA
93428

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Our Story

Stepladder Ranch was founded in 1871 and has been family-owned and operated for three generations. In addition to our farmstead creamery, we raise a number of breeds of heritage pigs for pork and grassfed black angus for beef. On the property, we grow Hass avocados and a variety of citrus and subtropical fruits. About 100 years ago, our ranch was a part of the Harmony Valley Creamery Association, a network of immigrant Swiss and Italian dairy farmers that grazed cattle on the lush coastal valleys of San Luis Obispo County. This Association was born out of a drought that forced ranchers to rethink how to make a living off of their land; a concept quite similar to the current situation we find ourselves in today. For the past four years, we have been perfecting our cheeses and learning a ton in the process.

We also host a spectacular rental property and event space for your special day or company retreat. Please feel free to contact us directly with inquiries. And if you want to learn more, please book a private tour of our creamery anytime!

To learn more about our creamery, purchase our cheese, or inquire about a creamery tour, visit www.stepladdercreamery.com. All tours are booked online at https://stepladdercreamery.tocktix.com/