Paul Wayne Schmidt passed away at his dairy farm on February 8 ^th , 2020 in Orland, CA. He was 74 years old.

Paul was born on June 28 ^th 1945 to his parents, Rudolph and Alba Schmidt. 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.

Paul is survived by his sister Barbara Hickman, daughter Carrie Anderson, son Frank Rios, and grandchildren  Kayla Villalobos, Bryce Rios, Chantel Rios, Savanah Rios, and Cassidy Rios.

Paul's life is defined by his hard work, his love of agriculture, and his patient, kind spirit. All who knew him were better for the role he played in their lives.

In lieu of flowers please send a donation to https://www.gofundme.com/f/rip-paul-schmidt?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1

(Background photo by Hector Muleba)