For nearly a century, our farmer-owners have understood that success only comes when they take care of their cows, their employees and the environment.

Farm Practices Program
We have made that philosophy the foundation of our Farm Practices Program, a guide for the day-to-day farm management of each dairy farmer who supplies milk.

Animal Care
Farmer-owners recognize that the health and well-being of their cows is what sustains their families and businesses. Our program supports their continued success by outlining a series of Animal Care Practices that promote good animal treatment. These practices include:

• Animals will always be treated with respect and compassion.
• Dairy cows will receive proper nutrition.
• Barns and other animal facilities will provide appropriate shelter for environmental conditions. Cows and people need a safe, comfortable environment in which to live and work.
• Animal handling, including restraint and hauling, will be done in ways that minimize stress and risk of injury to both the animals and people involved.
• Animals will be properly managed for the prevention of disease and injury. For animals requiring medical treatment, medications will be used responsibly both to support the animal’s return to health and to ensure that milk delivered to the creamery is free of antibiotic residues.
• Milk will be routinely tested to ensure that it has not been contaminated with antibiotics. No milk will be received into our processing facilities until it has been shown to be free of antibiotic residue. In addition, we strongly encourage our owners and milk suppliers to screen all milk produced in their dairy prior to its being shipped to our processing plants, especially milk from individual animals that have received treatment.
• No ruminant-derived feed material (made from the by-products of other animals) will be used as a protein source for dairy animal feed.
• Tillamook Cheese requires that all of the milk used in its cheese products must be from cows free of the artificial bovine growth hormone rBST.

Recognizing that each family dairy farm is unique, the employment of these practices is left to the farmer-owner to implement based on what is best for his or her herd and employees and the environment.