Tillamook: Ethical Values or Misleading Marketing?

Tillamook began as a humble cooperative for the local dairy farmers of Tillamook County, Oregon, to ensure that high-quality cheese was the local standard. As time passed, Tillamook evolved to establish an internal Farm Services Team to help support each farmer and pay above market value for members’ milk–in return, receiving a stable supply of dairy to manufacture its dairy-based products. Additionally, the farmers are still the ones who call the important shots for Tillamook rather than other corporate shareholders. Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) has since expanded nationally, but the foundation remains the same: high-quality dairy to create high-quality dairy products.In 2019, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), a national animal rights association, filed a class action lawsuit against Tillamook County Creamery Association (Tillamook), accusing the company of falsely advertising its products as being sourced from small, local dairies from Tillamook County when, in reality, two-thirds of its milk comes from one of the largest factory farms in the United States, Threemile Canyon Farms (Ellis, 2019). The suit continues that this false advertising encourages customers to believe that the company is environmentally conscious and supports small, local dairies, a practice known as “greenwashing,” allowing the company to charge a premium for its goods. In 2024, Tillamook’s CEO stepped down after working for 12 years and leading the company through a decade of growth. The company’s latest marketing campaign, “Extraordinary Dairy”, focuses on promoting the premium quality of its products and encouraging customers not to settle (Figure 2; Burnett’s, 2024). As for the lawsuit, the Oregon Supreme Court heard the appeal on March 6th, 2025; it has yet to issue its decision.