Blake Alexandre
“The Soil Enthusiast” / 4th Generation

Blake Alexandre grew up on a small dairy in the beautiful valley of Ferndale, California. From a young age, Blake worked on the dairy with his father Joseph Alexandre where he first learned how to raise calves before anything else on the farm. A committed and passionate 4-H and FFA member, Blake served as a State FFA Officer in 1980-1981 before heading off to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to study dairy science.

While at Cal Poly, Blake was on the Dairy Judging Team, where he was awarded the National High Individual Dairy Judging Award at the World Dairy Expo. He was also a large part of the “Project Dairy” at Cal Poly, where he found a way to not only pay his way through school, but graduate with a profit. Blake sold his prize cow to buy an engagement ring for his future wife, Stephanie, and four years later, they bought their first dairy in Crescent City.

Blake is often found with his hands deep in the soil. He recognizes that knowing how and when to correctly manage soil is ultimately what makes a successful grass farmer. As soil gains nutrition, organic matter, so will the grass, the cows, the milk, and the consumer.

An active member in his community, Blake was a member of the California Agricultural Leadership Program Class 22, Del Norte County Fair Board, North Coast Regional Land Trust Board, and California State Farm Bureau board. He currently sits on the California Organic Products Advisory Committee, Del Norte County Resource Conservation District, and the Farm Bureau Board.

Stephanie Alexandre
“The Nutrient Dense Foodie Mama” / 4th Generation

Stephanie (Moons) Alexandre grew up in the dairy farming valley of Chino, California. As soon as she could walk, she was out with the calves and cows, helping her parents, Jack and Bea Moons, on the farm.  Bea loved the dairy and was the first woman Chair of the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). Stephanie quickly learned how to drive equipment on the dairy, and grew to love showing dairy cattle in 4-H. She was also an impressive athlete on the volleyball court!

Stephanie earned her BS in agriculture business at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.  She met Blake in college and got married soon thereafter, fulfilling her wish as a child that she would marry a dairy farmer. Most days she can be found at her desk as the Alexandre controller, head of marketing efforts and countless other varied projects.

Stephanie served the community by being on the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Board, and a current Del Norte County 4-H Club Leader, a passionate voice about local education and as a nutrient-dense food enthusiast. Stephanie’s Bucket Calf program, which she started in 1995, is a community highlight that provides local children a unique, fun way to learn about agricultural life through hands-on experience working and walking with their ‘own’ calf for 6 weeks, and then showing their calf at the county fair.

She’s frequently in the kitchen toying with recipes that put her knowledge surrounding the importance of good nutrition to work. 

Click here to read Stephanie's "A Day in the Life of a Dairy Farmer"

Joseph Alexandre, 5th Generation
Humboldt Manager, Analyst

Joseph is a thoughtful, methodical man. He thinks deeply and takes the time to answer, never saying 3 words when 2 will do. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with an MBA; also earning a BS in Ag business and a minor in dairy science.  He met his wife, Alexa, a high school ag teacher, while at school and they are now the 5th generation of Alexandre’s dairying on Sage Road in Ferndale: Joseph’s great-great grandfather started dairying there in 1926.  Like most farmers, Joseph wears many hats:  He is the analyst for all aspects of the Alexandre business, producing the accounting, pricing, milk logistics and management reports for the dairy operations and the brand, and he also leads a team of 17 in managing the Alexandre’s dairies in Humboldt County in Ferndale, and Eureka – the 100% grass-fed dairy.  Active in the community, in 2021 Joseph became President of the Humboldt County Farm Bureau and a member of the Salt River Watershed Council, Eel River Groundwater Working Group, and sits on the board of the Northcoast Regional Land Trust. He hopes to ensure the productivity of working lands – with a perspective of working with nature, down to the microbiology of the soil, which has played such an integral part in his upbringing and is the foundation of the family businesses.

Christian Alexandre, 5th Generation
Farming and Trucking Manager

Christian will tell you all the memories and stories of life on the farm and take the couple hours to give you a tour too while you’re here. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a BS in agriculture business. He brought his passion and expertise with pastured hens at Alexandre Kids Eggs to the Cal Poly Poultry Unit, and took all the poultry classes available while in college. 

Christian also had a newfound love for rugby while at Poly, playing two years for the college club team, and was awarded rookie of the year.

With a true passion for chickens, Christian followed in Joseph’s footsteps as a co-founder of Alexandre Kids Eggs, LLC. Christian was awarded the National Poultry Proficiency Award from the National FFA Association, as well as the Star Agribusiness Award the following year. 

Chasing his dream, Christian is now back home on the Alexandre Dairy managing the trucking business, while also assisting in managing outside crews in irrigation, fieldwork and the shop. Christian is married to his wife, Callie, who pursues her love for home decor and photography, they have two kids, Canaan and Callahan. Christian represents the family on the California FFA State Agricultural Advisory Committee and the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association Board.

Vanessa Nunes (Alexandre), 5th Generation
Del Norte Dairy Manager

Vanessa knew she loved cows from a young age, having vivid memories of feeding young jersey calves in a lean-too barn when she was young. Vanessa graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2015 with a BS in agriculture business and a minor in dairy science. Leaving for five months to study pastured dairy farms in New Zealand, Vanessa solidified her love for working with cows and lush pastures.

In college, Vanessa co-managed Cal Poly’s Farm Store, and a committee of 12, providing a mock farm store for Cal Poly grown and raised products. Vanessa held many leadership roles and was President of the College of Agriculture, Food, & Environmental Sciences Student Council. She was awarded the Soares Outstanding Junior Award in Agriculture, the Carl Beck Outstanding Senior Award, and the University Contributions to the College Award, the same award Blake earned 30 years prior.

Vanessa is currently the dairy manager in Del Norte county, overseeing all operations for the 3 herds, from the maternity barn to the calves, heifer and mature cows.  Vanessa also co-manages the dairy and egg brand marketing activities with her Stephanie.

In 2020, Vanessa married Ag and woodshop teacher Justin Nunes, who adds his considerable carpentry skills to farm projects, and Vanessa’s summer helper with the cows!  Vanessa represents the family and business on the boards of the Del Norte County Fair, Del Norte Resource Conservation District, Del Norte Farm Bureau, and Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (WODPA) boards, while utilizing her love for youth and service as the Del Norte County 4-H dairy leader.

Santos Nunez
Field Supervisor

Santos grew up in Mexico and has worked at the site of the Alexandre Dairy since 1981, even before Blake and Stephanie bought the dairy. He “came with the dairy,” and we are sure glad he did. Santos and his wife Juana have seven kids, Humberto, Santos Jr., Emmanual, Cristian, Eric, Leslie, and Agustin who grew up on the farm learning alongside his dad and the Alexandre family how to work hard. Santos’ kids were among the best operators on the farm when they were there. Santos manages outside fieldwork including fixing fences and water troughs, putting in new water lines, and working with heifers on pasture. Without even needing a map, Santos knows where all the underground lines are where they lead to. His experience, common sense, and general wisdom regarding everything on the farm are extremely admirable to the Alexandres.

Jose “Pancho” Alvarado
Herdsman - Humboldt

Pancho has been dairying with our family for generations. He started working for Blake's parents, Joseph "Poppa Joe" and Loretta Alexandre, as a milker and moved on to work for Blake’s father, Joseph “Poppa Joe” Alexandre, as a milker and a dairy herdsman, on the farm where Blake grew up. In 2000, he continued with the Alexandre Family under Blake’s supervision and now works with Blake’s oldest son Joseph in Ferndale. Pancho manages 17 employees in Ferndale and Eureka, while also handling all vendors and neighbor relations. Pancho is a welcoming friend and calm cow man. He and his wife Teresa have 4 children, Alex, Jose, Vanessa, and Valeria, who all grew up on the Alexandre Acres dairy in Ferndale.

Tom Bessette
Mechanics Shop and Hay Ranch Coordinator

Prior to moving to Klamath, California in 2001 with his wife Nancy and son Leo, Tom had an impressive 30 year career building and managing major infrastructure projects for the Prudhoe Bay, before Alaska pipeline. When he retired from that business, Tom was in charge of building and maintaining 300 miles of road systems, all maintenance of 2000 pieces of equipment, security and airport maintenance, and an emergency response team. Tom had a staff of 14, 21 supervisors, and a crew of 500 personnel.

Tom started working for Alexandre Dairy overseeing repairs and and purchases on all equipment, as well as transportation and logistics of incoming feeds and outgoing lumber. Now, Tom manages our hay ranches in Cedarville and we also rely on his guidance, wisdom and management experience for operations at our creamery, mechanics shop.

Angel Ferndandez
Herdsman – Del Norte

Angel has been blessing us with his thousand watt smile and friendly personality for more than 10 years. He grew up in Mexico learning how to breed cows from his grandfather; always wanted to grow up to be a breeder like him.

In 2010, Angel started with Alexandre Family Farm in the maternity barn and would eventually fill in breeding cows on the main herdsman’s day off. He worked his way to assistant breeder and in 2020, he became the lead herdsman. Angel is an intuitive grass-based dairy herdsman; he can read how much pasture to give all the milking cows on the farm, and to which pasture they should be sent, when. Angel looks at the height and density of the grass in the fields, and then he makes decisions about which cows to send where. He maps out the cows on the pasture – matching the needs of the cows with the condition of the pasture - and determines the paddock size for each group. The paddocks are sized by moving the electric poly wire.

Angel is a key player in our regenerative dairy practice of pasture management.

He and his wife Maria have two young children, Ivana and Angel(ito).

Chris Howard
Environmental Regulatory & Grant Manager

A biologist by training and schooling, Chris heads up the economic development, business development, governmental relations, legal affairs, grant development and environmental services for all operations of the business. He researches and writes the grant proposals for the farm and manages all permitting and regulatory processes for production and processing facilities. Chris also applies his significant skill set on behalf of our Del Norte county community, having held supervisory, commissioner and board member positions for more than 20 agencies and committees. He currently is a District 3 Del Norte County Supervisor. Click here to see his recent video on Salmonid Restoration on Alexandre Family Farm. Chris and his wife Lisa have two children, Bryce and Gabe, who both grew up spending  summers either bailing hay or washing eggs at the Alexandre Kids Egg Ranch.