There's a lot more to Tillamook than meets the cheddar. Do you know the meaning behind
their loveable ship logo? Or that they're winners of the World Cheese Championship?
Stay tuned to find out some tasty untold truths!
Tillamook's top-shelf curd is the product of the Tillamook County Creamery Association.
A dairy cooperative that today is the largest employer in Tillamook County,
an economic engine empowering nearly 900 people in the craft of fine dairy.
While years of small-time dairy farming offered decent income, it wasn't until local dairy
farmers formed the Tillamook cooperative in 1909 that they truly entered their stride.
The Tillamook County Creamery Association started simply.
They welcomed 10 independent dairy farmers who only had to pay a $10 entry fee.
Today that co-op belongs to 80 farmer-owners,
and has propelled the Tillamook County Creamery Association into a top-50 American cheesemaker.
Tillamook's commitment to quality and teamwork also shows up in their
long-standing record of integrity, as the cooperative has held a constant commitment
to stewardship — both to the Tillamook County community and to their customers.
Before the cooperative could take off,
the Tillamook County dairy farmers first had to solve their distribution issues.
Prior to refrigerated cars, time was a factor in transporting perishable dairy. Given the lack
of freeway infrastructure, the fastest route to Oregon's biggest city, Portland, was via water.
So the people of Tillamook County came up with a plan:
Build a ship. Specifically, a schooner that was dubbed "The Morning Star."
The ship-build was a success and ironically enough
The Morning Star became the first ship built in Tillamook County and registered in Oregon.
This ship is such a staple of Tillamook's history that a full-size replica of the
schooner sits on display at the Tillamook Creamery's main factory.
The richly specific taste of Tillamook traces back to a partnership with a genius cheese artist.
When Canadian cheesemaker Peter McIntosh migrated to Tillamook County,
he brought an artisanal arsenal of cheese-crafting knowledge with him.
He consistently refined a promising cheddar formula, and all he needed
was a chance to prove his expertise as he wanted a cheesemaking plant of his own.
Luckily for the lactose tolerant, Tillamook gave him that opportunity.
In 1894, McIntosh was hired to operate Tillamook County's first commercial
cheese plant. He taught Tillamook dairy farmers everything he knew.
In 1909, The Tillamook County Dairy Cooperative rewarded McIntosh's ingenuity,
incorporating his popular cheesemaking formula as their standard, winning recipe.
This is all thanks to "The Cheese King of The Coast" spreading his
gospel of cheese throughout the Tillamook valleys.
“I’m king of the world! Woooo!”
If Tillamook County dairy farmers were committed enough to build Oregon's first ship,
and actually sail it, imagine how great their cheese could be?
"I thought we'd take a brief moment to celebrate one of life's greatest
gifts. Bolder, better, Tillamook Cheddar."
The world didn't wait long for that answer, as Tillamook County's first
big culinary victory came at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
Ten years into McIntosh's influence, the World Fair paved the way to McIntosh's work and
Tillamook's merging as one. It also paved the way to Tillamook becoming a full cooperative.
As their products continued to improve and expand,
working together with other dairy farmers became both lucrative and essential.
World Cheese Championship
Cheese does not get taken lightly in Wisconsin. So for all intents and purposes,
if your cheese can win here, it can win anywhere.
And that's what Tillamook did. In 2010, their mild cheddar obliterated the competition,
scoring 99.6 out of 100 points at the World Cheese Championship in Wisconsin.
Not only did Tillamook wrest the championship belt from the cheese-obsessed Midwest,
their mild-cheddar variety bested all 59 competitors in the category.
“You could add in some kind of artificial flavoring, which we do not do.”
Yellow rubber duckies have always been popular with the little ones, but what about yellow
rubber cows? Tillamook's squeaky toy cow "Tillie" was a fan favorite from day one.
This friendly cow with the sweeping joyful smile
captured mascot status and held that mantle for over 50 years.
Now discontinued as their solo brand ambassador, the original "Tillie of
Tillamook" rubber squeak toy remains a lucrative antique at online auctions and Pinterest boards.
Original Tillies fetch far over their original prices,
with mint condition Tillies still housed in their rustic farmland packaging.
Periodically, newer editions of Tillie are on sale at the Tillamook factory.
Peace. Love. Cheese? In the summer of 2010, all three were on the table as the "Love Loaf
Tour" hit over 100 U.S. cities in a fleet of cheddar-orange Volkswagen mini buses.
Spreading the message of their love of dairy, Tillamook commemorated their 100th anniversary
by slinging free samples and coupons to supermarkets and outdoor displays
wherever their cheese-loafs-on-wheels roamed. The stunt was a huge success.
As a follow-up, Tillamook launched their "Dairy Done Right" campaign in 2015,
where they published a series of scintillating photos of melted cheeses on hot food.
“This is the Way.” “This is the Way.”
Tillamook has stood for quality since they could stand on their own.
And since their inception they've refused to take shortcuts. As a matter of pride,
Tillamook has always aged their cheddar naturally for as long as it takes.
It can take anywhere from three months to as long as five years in some cases.
To anyone who's tasted the creamier difference, the difference is obvious.
"It was a no brainer when we were thinking about
what we were gonna put in our truck. It was Tillamook. People just love it."
Every rich variety of Tillamook dairy packs that penchant for quality.
Every bite provides a taste that is genuine.
Tillamook's integrity remains self-evident and far-reaching.
In 2020, when many farmers hit the skids due to pandemic-related shortfalls,
Tillamook stepped up. They vowed to contribute 10% of their September profits to their aid.
All in all, Tillamook donated $1.6 million to the American Farmland Trust — a national
non-profit organization dedicated to protecting farmland and keeping farmers on their land.
In addition to this generous contribution, Tillamook further committed $100k to
restaurant chefs whose businesses were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This should come as no surprise. Since its inception, the Tillamook
County Creamery Association has made stewardship a top priority.
"We wanna make a real impact. For us that means supporting the people and the places
that've supported us for more than a century."
Today, the Tillamook co-op publicly lists its top-six stewardship commitments proudly. They
commit to thriving farms, healthful cows, inspired consumers, enduring ecosystems,
fulfilled employees, and enriched communities.
As a top-50 dairy provider in America,
the Tillamook Creamery is capable of flexing some solid infrastructure.
They boast factories that are able to produce 167,000 pounds of cheese every day.
Within a single massive warehouse, Tillamook can age 50 million pounds of cheese at a single
time. Yes, the number is barely comprehensible.
“That’s a lot of Cheese.”
Yet, it's a reality that's allowed Tillamook to enjoy
life on dairy's top shelf from coast-to-coast.
In fact, the warehouse itself is so massive and magnificent,
it's become a tourist attraction all by itself.
Not only are tourists awed by Tillamook's mind-boggling cheese-producing capacity,
they're also taken behind the curtain and shown how it's all made possible.
Each year, nearly 1 million people pass through the creamery on self-guided tours.
These tours give people a chance to witness the magic
of how Tillamook's impeccable products are formed, processed, and packaged.
Tourists even learn about the secret ingredient that gives Tillamook cheddar
its distinctive orange hue as they step through the company's history.
The self-guided tours of Tillamook Creamery allow you to explore the bounds
of their barn-like factory. A tour of their ice-cream making process is also available,
and if you ask the kids, it may be Tillamook County Creamery's number-one attraction.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Mashed videos about your favorite brands are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.