The Tillamook County Creamery Association was founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative and is now known for its dairy products. Tillamook is the 44th largest dairy processor in North America, with over $1 billion in sales. The cooperative includes around 60 dairy farms, mostly within Tillamook County, Oregon, selling cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, and yogurt, their most famous product being the cheese, particularly Tillamook Cheddar.
The Tillamook Creamery is about an hour south of Cannon Beach and we head down for a visit to see the process of cheese making.
Entrance to the creamery
History of the creamery
Source of the milk
The creamery has a self-guided tour that circles around an elevated platform viewing and describing the cheese-making process. The cheese is formed from milk into 40 pound (18 kg) blocks, aged, and then cut into smaller blocks and slices for sale.
Cheese making
The next stop (before leaving) is the gift shop, where we purchase some cheese (6 year aged cheddar) and take a few pictures.
Driving the bus
After shopping, we stop for lunch in the creamery restaurant: fried cheese curds and a grilled cheese sandwich.
Lunch
What a great, educational (and tasty), stop.
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