Our Story

Our story begins in 1891 when Swiss-born Florian Cadonau and his son, Henry, began delivering milk in three-gallon cans to Portland families by horse-drawn wagon. In 1916, after working with his father for a few years, Henry and his wife, Rosina, established their own farm – less than a mile down the road from Florian’s. The couple named the dairy after the alpine flowers that grow in their native Switzerland: Alpenrose.

Over the last century, Alpenrose has grown into a trusted supplier of dairy products to retail, wholesale and ingredient customers in Portland and throughout the Northwest. Both our organic and conventional dairy products come straight to us from trusted family farms in the Pacific Northwest with no added rBST hormones, ever.

Alpenrose was purchased by Smith Brothers Farms, a family-owned dairy-based out of Kent, WA, in 2019. In an homage to our legacy and to meet the growing demand for delivery services, we brought back the neighborhood milkman – and milkwoman – with a new, modern twist by combining our dairy products with a selection of Portland-centric Northwest essentials.

Alpenrose remains one of the oldest family-owned and operated dairies in Oregon. We are proud of our legacy as a pillar of the Portland community and remain committed to providing the freshest local dairy to our neighbors and friends across the region. To ensure the finest farm-fresh flavor, our milk is gently pasteurized to preserve natural vitamins and minerals, keeping your family’s milk as pure and wholesome as you expect. Cheers!