The Sonoma County Fair will be presenting the Kehoe brothers, Tim, Tom, Mike and their families with the "Outstanding Dairy of the Year" award later this summer, which recognizes the family’s long history of dairy ranching on the Point Reyes Peninsula. The Kehoes have been ranching on the Point Reyes Peninsula since the 1920s.
The Kehoe dairy was originally leased by James Kehoe in 1922 from the Shafter Estate and then purchased in 1939. The ranch was later acquired by the National Park Service, along with other ranches, in what is now Point Reyes National Seashore and has been leased back to the family on a 5-10 year lease, which is renewable, for over 30 years.
The Kehoes operate an organic dairy and also produce 160 acres of silage to feed their herds.
"The Kehoes are one of a number of family ranches that the National Park Service has supported for over 40 years and will continue to support into the future," stated Don Neubacher, Superintendent of Point Reyes National Seashore.
"We get along really well with the National Park Service," explains Tim Kehoe, who says they have been in a lease permit agreement for nearly 35 years. "It’s been a good relationship."
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
