Green Valley Organics Review and GIVEAWAY!

Recently, I had the pleasure of testing out some products from Green Valley Organics, a company that produces organic goat’s milk yogurt, kefir, cheese, etc.  That was so exciting, and so timely!  Jacob had just been born and we were eating on the fly (people would ask me when meal time was and what we were having — as if I knew when I had had a baby just a few days earlier!) and I need healthy, easy foods to serve my family.  These fit the bill!

Here’s a little about their company:

You could say the great idea for a cow milk product came from a goat. Or technically, lots of goats. How’s that? Well, Redwood Hill Farm is one of the finest producers of goat milk products, and has been for over 40 years. As a small family farm, we have been producing delicious, award-winning goat milk dairy products since 1968, when owner Jennifer Lynn Bice and her parents first decided to build their grade A goat dairy in Sonoma County to provide fresh goat milk to the public. In the years since then, Jennifer became full owner and expanded the business to produce a great variety of goat milk products. Redwood Hill Farm is now firmly positioned at the forefront of the goat dairy industry. And Jennifer and her team had the creativity and capacity to create something new. After noting the large demand that her goat milk products had from millions of lactose intolerant Americans, she realized there was a niche that was not being served. She put her team to work on creating a process to take the lactose out of cow milk, contacted Certified Humane® dairy farms in the area, and put her organic creamery to work. And just like cows and goats get along in the pasture, cow milk and goat milk products can be produced seamlessly in the same creamery. And just like with the Redwood Hill Farm goat milk products powered by solar energy, Jennifer and the Green Valley Organics® team have pledged to give the world the best tasting, least processed healthful dairy products possible.

Sounds good, right?

I was able to try several of their products: a couple types of cheese, different flavors of kefir (both low-fat and full-fat), sour cream, and several types of yogurt.

I honestly preferred the plain kefir, because it was pure goat’s milk and cultures, nothing else added.  Full-fat too!  I don’t love cultured dairy that much by itself, but I put it in my smoothies and we all enjoyed it that way.  And it made me feel really good.  I could crave it just from the way it made me feel.

My son loved the various flavors of kefir.  I put them in a cup for him and he’d beg for them.  Both my kids loved the cheese, and had it for snacks!  The sour cream I have been meaning to make into real ranch dip, but I don’t have a go-to recipe yet for that and preserving has kept me busy.  Once I figure it out I know my son will love it!  And it’s probiotic!  That will be a huge time-saver for me, seriously.  I wanted a real probiotic dip (for me too) without having to go through the hassle of making my own cultured dairy (since I don’t love it under most circumstances I’m not really eager to do it).  This is perfect!  And I hear Whole Foods sells these products so I might have to get more….

The only thing I didn’t love is that their yogurts had pectin and a couple minor additives in them (natural flavor in the flavored ones).  These things just aren’t necessary, in my opinion, but it’s almost impossible to find companies — even natural and organic companies — that don’t use them in yogurts and flavored products.  It’s not any more or less than most, just I wish companies in general didn’t do this!

They were really nice to work with, though, and even included a tiny t-shirt for Jacob after hearing that my delay in response was due to his birth!  Which was really sweet.

Would you like to try their products for yourself?  3 lucky winners will be able to!  You’ll receive a tote with either coupons for free products (if you have a Whole Foods near you) or several products to try.  Are you excited?!  This is a great option if you don’t have local dairies near you, or don’t have the skills or inclination to make your own cultured dairy.

1. Visit Green Valley Organics and tell me which product you would most like to try REQUIRED
2. Subscribe to me via RSS or email (or tell me you already have)
3. “Like” me on Facebook (I’d love it if you would post the giveaway, too, but I can’t require that)
4. “Like” Green Valley Organics on Facebook
5. Follow me on Twitter and post: “I’m going to try Green Pastures Cod Liver Oil when I win it @Modernamama” with a link to this post
6. Follow Green Valley Organics on Twitter
7. Share this post on another social media site (StumbleUpon, Pinterest, etc.) and tell me you did
8. Email this post to 5 friends
9. BONUS if you did them all!

Please leave each comment in a SEPARATE entry.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  This giveaway closes on Friday night, 9/16, and the winner will be announced on Saturday, 9/17, chosen via random.org.

Good luck!