Heritage
Generations of goodness
We’ve been in the Dairy business for generations.
The Clover brand dates back to 1916 when fresh, delicious milk was first bottled and distributed by the Petaluma Cooperative Creamery – a small creamery in our hometown, Petaluma, California. In 1977, the Benedetti Family took over the Clover brand and has been at the helm ever since, producing delicious, wholesome products continuing to elevate the dairy industry. Now, our family-owned third-generation company is dedicated to making choices that are good for the land, for family farms, and for the cows in our beloved, Milk Country.
We’ve been proud to call Sonoma County home since the beginning and we intend to keep it that way—family owned, independent, and continuing to partner with family farms.
We’ve been proud to call Sonoma County home since the beginning and we intend to keep it that way—family owned, independent, and continuing to partner with family farms.
This is a
family Business
family Business
You can only make the kind of choices we make if you own the business. We’ll never sell out. We believe in supporting local businesses, family farms, and making sustainable choices that are good for generations to come, not just the next quarterly profits.
Like Father, Like Son
The Benedetti's have been at the Clover helm for three generations!
Learn More
Gene’s Vision: Clo
Oh, Clo...the friendly face of Clover Sonoma—our beloved mascot of 50 years!
Learn More
1916
The Petaluma Cooperative Creamery begins distributing Clover-brand dairy products in the Petaluma, CA area. Soon, Clover products begin showing up all over the North Bay.
1929
The Petaluma Cooperative Creamery starts to bottle milk under the Clover name. The first day’s bottling is 50 quarts.
1933
Cottage Cheese is added to the Clover line of dairy products. The company produces 150 pounds per day.
1969
Clo the Cow first appears as the official mascot for Clover Brand products. She has graced billboards in Northern California ever since with her magnificent smile and witty puns.
1974
Petaluma Cooperative Creamery changes its name to California Cooperative Creamery.
1975
Disaster strikes. A huge fire hits the co-op, destroying the milk processing and bottling operations, and the cooler.
1977
Clover Stornetta Farms, Inc. is born from the ashes of that devastating fire. Following a decision by the co-op not to rebuild the facility, Gene Benedetti purchases the wholesale distribution business from Cal Co-op and Stornetta’s Dairy in Sonoma, CA in August of 1977.
1984
The company moves and consolidates all of its distribution back to Petaluma.
1986
Gene Benedetti asks his son Dan to succeed him as president
1991
Clover Stornetta opens its new state-of-the-art milk processing facility at the Petaluma location. With a new fully automated facility, Clover is able to do three times the volume of the old plant with virtually the same manpower.
1994
Monsanto comes to Clover touting a newly developed “wonder” drug: rBST—a controversial synthetic growth hormone designed to artificially stimulate milk production in dairy cows. We turn them down flat.
1994
Clover family farms adopt the rigorous quality standards set by the North Coast Excellence Certified program and lead the way in practicing sustainable agriculture and humane treatment of cows—all practices still adhered to today. Clover also pledges to avoid all use of the synthetic growth hormone, rBST.
1999
Clover goes organic, thanks to the efforts of Dan Benedetti, who is an early adopter of the organic production mindset.
2000
In September, Clover Stornetta Farms becomes the first dairy in the U.S. to be certified by the American Humane Association (AHC) for its animal welfare program, American Humane Certified.
2006
Dan becomes chairman of the board and, like his father before him, asks his son Marcus to take over as president of Clover Stornetta.
2015
Herm and Dan Benedetti retire. Marcus assumes Dan’s role of chairman of the board, while maintaining his current responsibilities as president and CEO of Clover.
2016
Clover applies to be B-Corp Certified—and passes with an astounding 97 points!
2017
Clover Stornetta Farms rebrands to embrace the region as “Clover Sonoma” and introduces the Clover Promise of Excellence.
2018
Clover Sonoma is on the mooove! We took generations of pioneering good dairy beyond our home in California to new states in the Rockies and the Southwest.
2019
In 2019, Clover Sonoma’s beloved mascot Clo the Cow turns 50! We’re celebrating all the cheer and laugh out loud puns that have delighted Northern California for generations. Still grazey after all these years!
2020
In 2020 Clover Sonoma celebrated 20 years of being American Humane Certified and launched the first fully renewable milk carton in the U.S.
This is a
family Business
family Business
You can only make the kind of choices we make if you own the business. We’ll never sell out. We believe in supporting local businesses, family farms, and making sustainable choices that are good for generations to come, not just the next quarterly profits.
Like Father, Like Son
The Benedetti's have been at the Clover helm for three generations!
Learn More
Gene’s Vision: Clo
Oh, Clo...the friendly face of Clover Sonoma—our beloved mascot of 50 years!
Learn More