R.I.P. Paul Schmidt

Paul Wayne Schmidt  died at his dairy farm on February 8th, 2020 in Orland, CA. He was 74 years old. Paul’s death was unexpected and deeply shocking, but we believe he died doing what he loved – caring for his dairy cattle. All who know him are deeply saddened by this loss.
Paul was born on June 28th 1945.He was raised in Elk Grove, CA on a dairy that his father managed, discovering a love of the dairy industry at a young age. After raising and showing cattle through the 4-H program, Paul’s passion for farming continued to grow. Paul served in the Air Force from 1963 to 1967 prior to starting his career in agriculture. Following in his father’s footsteps as a third-generation dairyman, in 1977 Paul purchased a 40 acre farm in Orland and began raising a herd of dairy cows. In 2005 Paul developed and built a cheese plant near his milking barn, and the early days of Orland Farmstead Creamery (OFC) began. By 2009, Paul was licensed to sell cheese and began producing Fromage Blanc, the first and most popular of all the cheese produced by OFC to date. At this time, his business partner Valerie Miller intends to carry on Paul’s dairy legacy through Orland Farmstead Creamery.  The funds raised through your contributions will help her achieve that goal by helping with funeral expenses and feed for the cows, as well as other unexpected expenses due to this sudden loss.